Black and White
by Ai Angel
Summary: Stuck in the middle of black and white. A grey of some sorts. What is love? What is a heart? Adelita Freed. Who is she? UlquiorraxOC. Other pairings. Major spoilers from Arrancar arc onward.
1. Because of Him

Okie dokie!!! This is UlquiorraxOC. It's kind of a 'What if' situation so don't blame me that most of this stuff didn't happen in the manga or the anime. By the way don't blame me if I make up a bunch of stuff to make my story work and that Ulquiorra may be a little/really OOC. Massive spoilers for the Arrancar, Hueco Mundo and the Fake Karakura arcs. In this story the following couples will make an appearance:

UlquiorraxOC (Main one)

GrimmjowApache (Most prominent side pairing)

HitsuHina (Minor Pairing)

StarkHalibel (Side Pairing)

ShuuheiNemu (Very Minor Pairing)

SoifonByakuya (Very Minor Pairing)

UnohanaZaraki (Extremely Minor Pairing)

IshiHime (Side Pairing)

KisukeYoruichi (Very Minor Pairing)

IchiTats (Extremely Minor Pairing)

IzuruNel (Extremely Minor Pairing)

GinRan (Minor Pairing)

RenRuki (Minor Pairing)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I hope you know Tite Kubo-sama does. If you don't you are not a true blue Bleach fan!!! (Just kidding!)**

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**Chapter 1: Because of Him

In a messy room, with both clean and bloodstained clothes lying on the floor and other items lying astray, against one of the walls was a queen sized bed laid someone underneath a heap of sheets. The person shuffled a little before slowly opening her vibrant violet eyes. Underneath her left eye was what looked to be a dark green upside down tear mark. Her name was Adelita Freed and when she awoke from her deep slumber she stretched in her bed after yawning softly to herself. She rubbed her eyes before sitting up and shifting so that she was sitting on the side of her huge bed. Her slightly longer than shoulder-length dark blue almost black hair was messy and knotted; her bangs were parted in a left side parting, the right side was chin length whilst the left side was only just long enough to cover her eyes. The remnant of her hollow mask was a thin white forehead band and attached to back of the band was the symbol for a triple moon. She yawned once more before lazily walking away from her big soft warm bed to her bathroom to get dressed for the day.

Adelita walked out of the bathroom after a few moments fully dressed. Her dark green hair was now a neat high ponytail, her hair appearing to be black rather than the blue it was, with a thin black ribbon tied around it. The left side of her bangs was swept as far to the side as possible (which isn't very much) and the ride side neatly tied into the ponytail. The triple moon of her hollow mask were invisible because her ponytail was positioned right on top of them. She wore a white left one shoulder top lined with black that reached to just below her belly button, she wore a white lined with black jacket with three quarter sleeves that was zipped up until below her chest. She also wore a white hakama also lined with black at her hips that was long enough to cover her knees; a plain white mini dance wrap skirt with a black ribbon was tied on top of her hakama. On her feet were ballet flats with the same design as the boots so many arrancar wore and her left hand she had a white fingerless glove with black lining that only covered her hand.

Today Aizen was holding a meeting to which all the Espada** had** to attend. Adelita groaned at the mere thought of some boring meeting with Aizen 'talking' about some plan to take over Soul Society. Adelita grabbed her Zanpakutou as she walked out of her room and started to leisurely walk to where the meeting was being held. She grabbed her sword and slipped it onto the left side of her hip; it had a lilac purple hilt, the guard in the shape of a full moon and a crescent moon attached to the side and the scabbard a plain white.

_Why is Aizen-san holding so many of these meetings all of a sudden? It's not like anybody actually listens to what Aizen-san says at those boring meetings anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if he was only holding all this meetings to show off his collection of tea._

Adelita was snapped out of her thoughts when she bumped into someone's chest.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Adelita apologized with a quick bow and her usual sweet smile.

"…" Was the silent response.

Adelita looked up, the other being almost a head taller than her, to see none other than the stoic number four Espada, her face colouring in embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Ulquiorra! I kind of spaced out! You know me!" She apologized again.

"You shouldn't space out; it could cost you your life in battle. Aizen-sama doesn't need to loose anything that isn't trash." He replied stoically before turning on his heel and continued to walk to where the meeting was being held.

_Is that some sort of Ulquiorra-like way to say that he doesn't want me to get killed because I'm not trash or is he worried that I might get killed in battle? _ Adelita blushed at thinking that before catching up with Ulquiorra and walked by his side until they reached the meeting place where Adelita took her usual spot in between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra.

As usual the meeting was long and boring; she didn't see the point of holding so many meetings. Adelita almost fell asleep and she would have if Ulquiorra hadn't nudged her leg roughly with his knee every time she was about to nod off.

_I swear I have a bruise on my leg! _Adelita thought exasperatedly.

As soon as the meeting finished everyone walked out and as soon as she was out of the meeting room Adelita rubbed the spot that Ulquiorra nudged over and over again.

"You shouldn't fall asleep when Aizen-sama is talking. Be glad I kept you awake, Aizen-sama may not be too glad about you falling asleep." The said 'nudger' reminded her.

"Then why don't you knee every other Espada? Like Stark-onii-chan or Barragan-jii-san, or pretty much everyone else and I doubt Aizen-san doesn't notice." Adelita fake-whined playfully.

He didn't reply to her but turned his back to her; hands deeply buried in his pockets as usual and started walking in the opposite direction. She just stared blankly at his back wondering why he didn't at least reply with a 'Hn'. By the time she was snapped out of her thoughts he was quite far away.

"Oi! Wait!" She called after him and started to catch up to him though-

"Please wait a few moments Freed-san." A deep voice that came from behind her halted her from catching up to the stoic Espada.

Adelita gulped silently and turned her head reluctantly to see the man who had made all of the Arrancar who they were today: Aizen Sosuke.

"Yes, Aizen-san?" She answered to his statement.

He motioned for her to follow him back into the room where they had just had a meeting. She bit her lip before forcing herself to take one mechanical step after another to follow him. She didn't particularly like Aizen very much; his methods and ways of thinking plus his ultimate goal always disturbed her. She would have left Las Noches if it weren't for something or more say someone she would never be able to betray by leaving them and that certain someone was too loyal to leave. She followed Aizen into the meeting room she had only just recently exited.

"Um, Aizen-san what is it that you wanted to-" She began.

"I have a feeling that you don't have respect for me." He told her, "If I may ask, why you see me, your superior, as an enemy?"

"I do not see you as an enemy; I merely don't see you as someone I rely on or trust in any shape or form." She answered; all of her previous cheerfulness that was only just on her features was replaced by a serious look that most people would think was impossible for the usually carefree girl.

"Even after I made you an arrancar, gave you power, made you who you are and made it so you knew more than killing, you don't trust me?" Aizen asked her in an almost mocking tone, a smirk placed on his face.

_Don't get cocky you bastard! You weren't the one who made it so I knew more than killing! _She thought angrily, she wanted to voice out her thoughts but decided against it.

"You and I both know that I would gladly leave-" Adelita began once again, defiance in her eyes.

"Then why don't you? Oh that's right, you can't. Or should I say you won't." His tone was as taunting as ever.

"I-I… You're right I won't leave and I won't betray you because of that, but just because I won't leave doesn't mean that I have to respect you in any way." She shot angrily back at him, a tone that even she thought she was incapable of producing.

As soon as she finished her sentence she felt a large amount of reiatsu being released, it was released so quickly and all at once. The pressure made Adelita's knees buckle and brought her to her to the floor. Adelita found hard to breathe and while using her hands for support she looked up at the person releasing the vast amount of reiatsu. She gave him her iciest glare and as expected he was unaffected by the Espada's failed attempt of a cold glare. A split second later she crumbled to floor and was lying on her side, her hands curled in her chest which was a futile attempt to regulate her heaving. Her knees were bent looking like she was about to curl up into a ball. Beads of sweat decorated her arms, legs and face; her eyes were wide as she heaved to try and breathe normally. After a few seconds the reiatsu was once again compressed and Adelita was able to regain her breath. She panted slightly as she sat up to glare once again at the man who had caused her crumble so pitifully. Her glare was even less cold than her last and after holding it for a while she winced slightly at the aching pain all over her body.

"Do you respect me now?" He asked her, amusement laced into his tone.

"Go. To. Hell." She replied rudely in between pants, finding a very interesting spot on the floor to stare at instead of him.

"Now Freed-san, you wouldn't want _him_ hate you now would you? Or maybe you want something bad to happen to _him_?" He asked once more, the amusement still there.

Adelita's eyes widened before she quickly turned her head to him, "You wouldn't dare! He's one of your subordinates; it's just plain cruel and completely wrong to even think about such a thing!" She exclaimed, shock evident in her voice.

"Then you know what you have to do." He told her, more taunting than ever.

"My deepest apologies, Aizen-sama. I won't disrespect you ever again." She whispered as quiet as a mouse, looking at a different spot on the floor.

"You may leave, Freed-san. Can you?" He told her, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

Adelita glared pitifully before weakly getting up and even more weakly walking out, she felt like passing out every time she took a step. When she was finally out of the horrid room she just _had _to see the usually way too big grin on Nnoitra's face. Adelita was by no means tall and Nnoitra was so tall she felt almost like a midget when he was looming over her like this.

"You seem to have angered Aizen-sama. Everyone in Las Noches would have been able to feel when Aizen-sama released his reiatsu." Nnoitra taunted, his grin only widening.

"Leave me alone, Nnoitra-_san_. I have no business with you." She said using her best 'Ulquiorra' voice.

She turned on her heel and started to walk in the direction of her room. After 3 steps she leaned on the wall, unable to walk without some sort of support.

"You women are so weak, how you ever got to a higher rank than me is beyond me." He ridiculed, she whipped her head around to glare at him.

"You're a bastard you know." Adelita insulted.

"Oh, since when does the ever so bubbly Adelita Freed know such a bad word?" Nnoitra teased, his grin growing a fraction wider.

"Ever since she knew that idiot Grimmjow." A different voice came from behind Adelita.

Adelita turned her head to where the voice came from, even though she already knew who it was.

"Ulquiorra…" She whispered, looking at her feet.

"Leave now, Nnoitra." His voice as indifferent as ever.

"Che." Nnoitra huffed before turning and walking away, knowing better than to deal with Ulquiorra.

As soon as he was gone Adelita felt all the strength in her legs leave her as she fell to the floor, her legs unable to support her body. Her eyes stung a little but she wouldn't cry atleast not in front of him.

"You didn't have to do that you know; I had the situation in complete control." Her voice colder than usual, her eyes were staring at the floor next to her and even though she wasn't looking at him she felt his gaze boring into her, "You can say it, I'm trash right? I can't even stand up much less-"

Her sentence was cut short when she was lifted up into the air, arms firm around her. One arm was underneath her knees and the other supporting her shoulders; the grip on her was strong though it was far from rough. A small gasp escaped her lips as he had lifted her up into the air and a louder gasp came when the grip on her tightened. The usually light coloured skin on her cheeks becoming a dark crimson.

"Ulquiorra!" She gasped; shock registered in her voice and on her face, "Put me down this instant!" Her voice was as close to an angry Grimmjow as she could muster before her voice became more like her usual and donning a small smile, "Umm… Please?"

She felt like she was talking to a brick wall as he completely ignored her and walked off in the direction her room was.

"What're you doing!? I can go back to my own room! You really don't have to carry me all the way back! I don't really want to trouble you or anything!" She exclaimed hoping he would comply; the curious looks passing arrancar were giving them made her already crimson cheeks become even darker.

"You're being both ridiculous and idiotic at the same time; you're starting to act more and more like that complete fool Grimmjow." No emotion could be heard in his voice.

"Ulquiorra that's really mean. Grimm-chan isn't a complete fool." Adelita retorted before he stopped only to look down at her violet eyes and give her a certain look, "Okay, maybe sometimes he acts like a total idiot when he rushes into battle without even a pathetic excuse for a plan but he's really not all _that_ bad." The same look continued bore into her vibrant eyes, "He really isn't. By the way, can you put me down now; I can really get myself back to my own room. I really can!"

He started to walk towards her room once again his gaze not on her any more, his head facing forward and his eyes looking ahead. Her cheeks finally returning to their original colour.

"You really aren't thinking before you speak are you?" Ulquiorra could feel the questioning gaze on him as he spoke. He sighed silently to himself at her complete ignorance, "You said yourself, you can't even stand up. How do you expect to find the strength to walk if you can't even find enough to stand?" She blinked a few times at his statement before her gaze turned to her hands which were curled in her chest, fiddling with each other and her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"You're such a stupid woman." He told her.

"…" Her silent reply came, obviously telling him to keep talking.

"I already told you not to disrespect Aizen-sama and you decided to anyway. You're hopeless."

"I'm sorry." She apologized for the third time that day.

"Hn." To a normal person the simple answer would have seemed like a rejection to the apology but to Adelita he was telling her to stop being a 'stupid woman' which in Ulquiorra language in that context was acceptance to her apology.

After a few moments in the comfortable silence she decided to ask the question that she had thought of long ago but plagued her mind especially since Aizen had threatened her.

"Um… Ulquiorra, would you um… Could you…? Uh, do you… I mean to say…" Her rambling almost unintelligible.

"Just spit it out Adelita."

"It's hard to say but, you're really important to me and I won't ever let anybody hurt you and I want to know some… things." Her babbling hardly intelligible, her fingers fiddling with each other even more, her cheeks redder than before, "Do you, um, trust me with… your life? I trust you with mine for sure. Also if I were about to die would you help me? I mean, I understand if you wouldn't because those kinds of things are pretty-"

If she hadn't been so concentrated on finding words to say she might have had noticed Ulquiorra stopping in his tracks, a little bit of shock on his face.

"You stupid woman." He told her cutting her off completely, "Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting more and more like that complete imbecile today. You asked me questions and I gave you the answer."

"That makes no sense you realise?" She giggled, "I asked you 2 questions. You gave me only one answer."

"It is unnecessary to repeat the same answer twice."

"Oh so you mean…"

"Hn."

"I guess I really am slow today, I've been hanging out with Grimm-chan way too much." She said softly, her usual smile making its way onto her face. He started to walk once again as she buried her face into his chest, finding comfort, "Thank you, Ulquiorra."

"Hn."

If her face hadn't been buried in his chest then maybe she would have seen the slight colour on Ulquiorra's deathly pale face. Adelita could feel tears well up in the corners of her eyes but she couldn't and wouldn't cry. Crying was a sign of weakness to her and being weak was considered trash to Ulquiorra. The last thing Adelita ever wanted to be considered was trash, at least not by Ulquiorra. She blinked them back profusely to make sure not a single drop slipped down her porcelain cheek.

_All this time I thought the answer would be no for both of those questions. You never cease to amaze me Ulquiorra. I already owe you more than my life and now I owe you even more. How will I ever be able to repay you?

* * *

Damn that bastard Ulquiorra! Because of that fucking bastard she keeps on getting hurt! Because of him she entered this damned hell hole! She doesn't want to leave this place behind because of him! She'd go through fucking hell for that son of a bitch! She didn't have to become how she is now and have to put up with everything she hates everyday but she does for that damned bastard! _Grimmjow thought completely and utterly pissed, he was standing behind the wall of one of the corridors, looking at the two, a scowl tainting his features.

"Yo, Grimmjow! Ulquiorra might just decide kick your ass to the next reincarnation cycle for spying on him and Adelita-san. Not to mention saying all those things about him." A rude voice came from behind.

"Shut up, bitch." He turned to her, the scowl deepening when he realized that he had voiced out his thoughts, "Shouldn't you be kissing the shoes of Halibel or something other than annoying me, Apache?"

"Like you should be the one talking, idiot." A frown placed upon her features, "By the way I don't 'kiss' Halibel-sama's shoes, but you seem quite talented in that area when it comes to Adelita-san."

"I'm only looking out for her, okay dumbass. She'd do anything for that jackass Ulquiorra, one day she'll find herself kicked into the reincarnation cycle and there's no way in hell I'm letting that happen, at least not for a bastard like him." He told her, all the while glaring at her.

"So what? You in love with her or something? That's a laugh dumbass. Ulquiorra seems to have already stated, very clearly, that Adelita-san is his property and not for anyone else to even think about touching. Though you seem to have missed that statement." She informed with an all knowing smile on her lips, "Adelita-san also seems more than happy to comply of becoming his and only his. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already fucked I mean-"

Before Apache could finish her sentence she found herself pinned to the wall behind her and a very angry Grimmjow staring her down.

"Shut the fuck up about her! She's just someone I give more than a rat's ass about! I don't care if that half assed bastard Ulquiorra has claimed her for himself! He can't feel any emotion that's even the slightest bit close to love or lust or whatever! It's impossible for him to even think about fucking anybody when all that's going through his head are the orders Aizen-sama gives him!" He practically yelled in her face and Apache knew she wouldn't be able to hear very well for the next few days.

"How do you even know you idiotic dumbass?! Maybe he doesn't show it at all but Ulquiorra gives twice as much as you do about Adelita-san! Adelita-san thinks of Ulquiorra as, if you haven't noticed the obvious signs, the most important person to her dumbass!" She yelled twice as loud back to him.

They glared each other down for a few moments before Apache decided to speak.

"Admit it dumbass, she and him once they get the damned heads out of their asses will become what those stupid humans call lovers."

"As if."

"You want to bet on that?"

A quizzical look replaced the scowl on his face for a few split seconds before returning to its original scowl.

"Sure. I win if they don't get together by the time Aizen-sama created that King's Key or whatever that bull crap he wants to create."

"I win if they do get together, I'll win for sure, it's hard not to when you're up against a dumbass and the chances of losing are more than a thousand to one."

"If I win, you'll become my personal slave for 3 weeks."

Grimmjow took his hand and placed it in front of her, a sign for them to shake. She did, a mischievous smirk gracing her features.

"And if I win, you'll become _my _personal slave for a month! I'll have fun ordering around an Espada!"

"A month!? That's unfair you bitch!"

"So? We've agreed, we've shaken, we've set the bet, whichever you like better makes no difference 'cause they're all true."

"Why you-"

His sentence remained unfinished when she slipped away from him calling out the names of her fellow fracción.

"Sun-Sun! Mila-Rose!" She yelled not even turning to look back as she ran toward them.

Grimmjow growled in a very feline way and stomped back to his room.

* * *

"Is it me or did I just hear something like Grimm-chan yelling?" Adelita asked looking up at Ulquiorra, a questioning look in her bright eyes.

"…"

"Thought as much."

Most people wouldn't have got it but Adelita immediately knew he was telling her 'Who else?'.

He continued before he reached his destination. There were two doors right next to each other, only half a metre apart from each other. He stood in front of the one on the right.

"Um, Ulquiorra, I know our rooms are right next to each but, my room's the other-"

Before Adelita could finish her sentence Ulquiorra had already opened the door and walked into it. It was plain, simple and, no surprise, tidy. Everything in the room was where it was supposed to be and not one thing seemed out of place, not in any way like her's. A large bed was located off to the side, a closet on the other, the bathroom door next to the closet and a couch near the door.

"Ulqui-"

Before she could even finish saying his name she was literally dropped onto his bed, as he did her face coloured considerably and gave him a confused look.

"Anybody within Las Noches would have felt Aizen-sama release his reiatsu and any person within a certain radius would have been easily crippled. You were the closest to him at that point in time, you are extremely vulnerable right now. If you're enemies were to find out you were in this state then-"

"I would be easy to eliminate, right?" Adelita finished for him as she sat up, he nodded, a way of telling her she was correct, "I get it, but I don't really need to-"

The sentence remained unfinished as a hand pressed against her forehead and pushed her back into a lying down position on the bed.

"Rest. Now." It wasn't a question or even a suggestion, it was an order.

"B-but Ulquiorra-" She tried to protest.

"You need to regain your strength to be of full use to Aizen-sama and in order for you to do that you have to rest. Go to sleep now, I have to meet with Aizen-sama soon."

As soon as the words came from Ulquiorra's mouth Adelita's face fell.

"Oh, I see. I'm fine, you can leave. I mean you shouldn't leave Aizen-_sama _waiting." Adelita spoke in an unemotional tone, the crestfallen expression clear on her face and the strong hate in the respectful honorific she usually didn't use; none of this went undetected by Ulquiorra.

_Why is it that the only thing you ever care about is Aizen?_

"Just go to sleep you stupid woman." He told her in his usual stoic voice.

"I told you I'm fine!" She exclaimed to him, prying the hand on her forehead off she turned away from him while unshed tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

_Why can't you for once take your mind off of Aizen and think about something else? Why can't you see how much you mean to me? That I'd give you my whole life and even more just to repay you for what you did? Why don't you ever think about me? _

More tears came to her eyes as the sorrow filled thoughts raced through her head.

"Stupid woman." He sighed inaudibly to himself.

Though he didn't seem like it he was quite fed up with her insane stubbornness and sat on the edge of his bed knowing that she would eventually tell him and probably seek comfort from in the form of a hug. As usual, he was right. Within the course of 5 seconds the said female had sat up and hugged him from behind, her arms wrapped around his front and face buried deep within his back.

"I'm sorry Ulquiorra… It was wrong of me to say that to you." She apologized softly to him, her usual cheerfulness gone from her voice replaced with a sincere apology.

She let go of him, an invisible blush dusting her cheeks. He didn't utter a word but instead shifted his body ever so slightly so that he could face her properly. She looked up, their equally illuminating eyes meeting each other. His hand landed on her forehead and she found herself lying down on his bed again.

"I dislike repeating myself, Adelita. I believe I told you rest." His voice was emotionless as usual.

"Okay fine." She said a small smile on her features.

She shut her eyes peacefully as she slowly lulled into sleep. Ulquiorra sighed and got off his bed and walked toward the door. Adelita opened her eyes a fraction and whispered,

"Thank you… Ulquiorra."

He acknowledged her whisper by turning his head slightly to see her in the corner of his eye.

"Your welcome." He whispered silently back to her before exiting the room.

* * *

_A young female arrancar was walking down one of the wide corridors of Las Noches. She had mid-back length messy dark blue hair that was left down, her eyes were a vibrant purple. Her eyes were usually cheerful but this time they were a little sadden, something very rare for her. A dark green upside down tear mark adorned the skin underneath her left eye. Her bangs were long and were the same length as her hair; they were in a left-side parting. She wore a white long sleeved left one-shoulder top, the top was quite long with a diagonal cut at the bottom and she had a wide black ribbon tied around just beneath her chest, she wore short sleeved white jacket over her top. The jacket had buttons and she only buttoned the middle one. She wore a white fingerless glove on her right hand that went up to her elbow. She wore white hakama pants and knee high arrancar boots. One sword was attached to her right hip; it had a purple hilt with a white scabbard. There were minor scratches that were everywhere on her body. There was a wound on her left hand that had had some treatment to it and was wrapped with a white bandage which blood had seeped through._

"_Adelita-san." The calling of her name snapped her out of her thoughts. She seemed startled; shock had coursed through her as she had not sensed the girl calling her name._

"_Apache-san…" She responded her voice unusually empty. She turned to face the girl a few metres behind her._

_Her blue shoulder length hair was the same as always with her horn on her head. Her clothes were the usual albeit the sleeves on her arms went down to her elbows and her hakama pants were slightly shorter, other than that she looked the same. Her mixed matched eyes bore into Adelita's purple ones. _

"_Why would you do something so damn reckless?" Apache scolded._

"_I-" She began._

"_Don't you dare say you were trying to protect him! You know damn well that he can take care of himself! He's a freaking Espada! I'm going to ask again, why the hell did you do something that only an idiot would do?!?!" Apache yelled angrily at Adelita._

"_I know!" She shouted back, "I know, okay?" She whispered, " I shouldn't have done that but I just-" Her voice trembling, "I just acted on impulse! I thought that maybe by some complete catastrophe that that Vasto Lorde would somehow injure Ulquiorra-sama or maybe even kill him! I thought that maybe if I didn't step in that might have happened! Now Ulquiorra-sama must think I'm trash… To not be able to take a hit like that!? To have my left hand completely punctured!? Thanks to my stupid decision I almost got killed and worse than that that Vasto Lorde used me against Ulquiorra-sama and he had to use his __Resurrección! I couldn't even fight back because my left hand was completely useless!" Small unshed droplets of water welled in the corners of her eyes, her voice lowered even further, "I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me. I'm so completely useless."_

"_I wouldn't say that Adelita-san." Apache told the fellow __Números__, "You're his only Fracción, he wouldn't have chosen you if he thought you were trash. In fact I actually think you're strong enough to be an Espada."_

"_You shouldn't say that. I'm weak and pathetic, I let my stupid emotions get in the way and wasted Ulquiorra-sama's reiatsu by making him release his Resurrección!" Her voice was trembling and she could hardly see through her swimming vision._

"_Adelita-san you are clearly mistaken. If Ulquiorra had seen you as trash then he wouldn't have saved you, he would have left you die at the hands of that Vasto Lorde so obviously he doesn't consider you as trash." Apache told her, using a tone as if pointing out the obvious._

"_B-but-" Adelita tried to protest._

"_He doesn't hate you Adelita-san. He actually cares about you more than he lets on you know." Apache told her looking off to the side._

_Before Apache knew it she found herself in a warm embrace from Adelita. Adelita wrapped her arms around Apache's back._

"_Thank you, Apache-san."_

"_Well, whatever. You should stop doing such stupid things just for Ulquiorra." Apache told her in her usual voice._

"_I can't help it. I'm only here right now… Because of him."_

_

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_Sooo… What did you guys think of the first chapter? Sorry for the really prolonged premiere. Anyway happy v-day for yesterday. Anyone get a rose? Just kidding. I'll update **Heart's Key** soon as possible for those wondering. I've written the beginning for it but you know. I'm a very lazy slow updater and I'm very sorry. R&R please!

Next Chapter: Few Simple Words

A peek into the past of Ulquiorra and Adelita.

See ya next chappie,

Ai Angel.


	2. Few Simple Words

Ai Angel: Hi hey! I want to update this one as much as I can because it's going to be super long and I really like this one! I'll probably alternate between this one and **Heart's Key**. I may update this one more though. Anyways, enjoy the next chappy, okay?

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Chapter 2: Few Simple Words

A butterfly flew around Hueco Mundo. Anyone, or thing for that matter, that came her way was almost immediately killed and devoured. Her power increased, she was soon so powerful that many came to try and devour her. They wanted the power that was almost radiating of her porcelain skin.

* * *

Blood.

It was everywhere. It decorated her dark threads of hair, her porcelain skin, her powder white wings that sprouted from her back, it covered everything. Her stone-like violet eyes however never flinched, not showing a single ounce of remorse. She had lost count of how many had come after her. She just knew she had killed almost as many as had come. The numbers were large; most of them were easy enough to kill. However, they were so weak they almost seemed unworthy to be devoured. She scowled at the thought of not eating something she had killed. She was about to deal the final blow to the most powerful of them all when she felt something. It felt like an extremely powerful being was approaching her. It was approaching her quite quickly, if she hadn't had such a vast reiatsu herself she would have been felt like she was drowning in it. It wasn't the one in front of her; the enemy in front of her was much too weak to hold such power. This new enemy had a reiatsu not like any other, it was not only denser and stronger but there was something that made it different from most other reiatsu. This startled her and the enemy took its chance to try and kill her, to gain the massive amount of power she had. Five of his sharpened claws buried itself in her stomach, making a centimetre deep wound. As she fell to the ground ready to be killed, she remembered one thing, a pair of black wings that opposed her own in colour.

* * *

As she awoke she wondered why she was still alive. As her eyes fluttered open she looked at the Vasto Lorde sitting beside her. His face was impassive and maybe even slightly bored as he stared up at the starless night. He too had wings on his back however they were completely different from her own, contradicting her's in colour. While her's were pure white his were pitch black. She tried to sit up only to feel the stinging pain in her stomach. She looked at the deep wound in her stomach to see it had not been tended to at all. She slowly inched her hand over her abdomen to where the wound was. Her hand glowed an ominous white as the skin knitted itself up and the internal damage was fixed. The only trace that was left of a wound being there was a minor scratch. The bat-like Vasto Lorde turned his gaze from the sky to her face. He whispered something to her. A few simple words and they changed her completely.

* * *

The butterfly flew through the sky, the air feeling almost calming on her skin and wings. Her reverie was however was ruined by a sudden explosion. She looked down from her position in the sky to see a lone panther; he was easily defeating all that stood before him. She flew down and stood in the midst of all the blood.

"What do you want, bitch?! You want the same fate as these guys!?" His light blue eyes flaring.

"You're wrong." It was a whisper of a simple statement.

He bore his angry blue eyes into her calmer, if not gentler, violet eyes. She whispered a few simple words. They were different from the words that the bat had told her. She had used words that didn't change him; they just made him keep an eye out for her forever.

* * *

The butterfly spent the majority of her time with the bat. She promised him she'd stay by his side forever. She did this because she owed him her whole life and more. He was one of the only beings she knew that didn't kill for the sake of killing. He had made her realise that she could do more than kill and devour those that she had killed. He had saved her from death so many times.

* * *

However, one day the bat vanished. The butterfly looked almost everywhere for him. She needed to find him, the thought that he was possibly dead never crossed her mind. Such a thought was almost offensive; he was much too powerful to be taken down. As she looked for him she saw someone that looked almost exactly like him, but there was one thing wrong. He looked much too human. She stayed her distance until she felt the familiar gaze of his emerald green eyes meet her violet ones. As soon as she saw those eyes, relief filled her. Her emotions overwhelmed her logic as she landed on the sandy ground and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and almost let the few tears welling in her eyes slip down. Then she heard two simple words before falling into darkness.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

As her eyes inched open she still saw darkness. Her head ached as she sat up; if she wasn't in darkness she would have seen everything spinning. She lifted her hand up to the side of her head only to realise most of her mask was missing. She used the same hand to reach for her back to realise that even her wings had vanished. She immediately placed her hand in between her breasts to make sure her hole was still there. She sighed in relief when she felt empty space, not flesh. She soon realised that even though she wasn't a human most of her hollow features had disappeared.

Soon a door opened and light shone into the dark space. She looked from her position on the ground. A man was standing in the doorway. Though it wasn't just anyone, it was the one that looked exactly like the bat. The one who had attacked her and brought her to this place where she became like this. She hardly cared that she was completely naked nor the fact that she had gained a very attractive body, all that she cared about was giving this look-alike a piece of her mind. She let the anger swell up inside of her as she stood up. She ignored the searing pain coursing through her entire body as she ran towards the man. She balled up her fist and concentrated her power into it. She aimed for his face and just as it was about to make contact he had grabbed her hand and twisted it painfully behind her back. A pained gasp escaped her lips as her arm was twisted. Her whole body sagged as she felt all the anger she felt moments ago slowly fade away. Any power she had soon left her as pain coursed it way to every corner of her body.

"Why?" A raspy whisper came.

She had no answer so she assumed he didn't answer her because she was vague.

"Why did you have to take him away? Why are you using his face? Is this some sort of trick? Are you trying to taunt me? What happened to him? What happened to Ulquiorra?" She could feel the tears dripping down her face; she knew if Ulquiorra saw her now he would call her weak. She couldn't help it though, the thought that he was dead never crossed her mind until now.

"Stupid woman…" An annoyed mutter, her eyes widened at the familiar words.

"Oya! It seems our new guest has awakened." A sly voice came.

A man with squinted eyes, a frightening grin and silver hair came into view. She wanted so badly to know what was happening. She sent him a cold glare; if looks could kill the man would have been frozen by now.

"Well, well… What's with the hostile look, Adelita-_chan_?" He knew her name, she wanted to know why.

"How do you know my name?" Her eyes flaring.

Words and more words came at her. These words however were far from simple. Adelita Freed was once again changed, however this time there were many words and they weren't simple.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Her usually cheerful voice full of disbelief.

Her dark hair was rather long and messy, her eyes not believing what the man in front of her was saying. She wore a loose long sleeved white baby doll shirt that went down to her mid-thighs and an ankle-length white hakama.

"When you went through shinigamification something happened and the powers you once had have been buried deep within you. It will take a while but you will eventually gain back all your power. Until then, you must become a fracción of an Espada. It is likely that when you gain back your abilities that you will have the power of an Espada, we will decide what happens when it does." The man named 'Aizen' sounded as if such a thing was fine.

"Aizen-sama…" A voice came up.

"Ulquiorra?"

"Adelita will become my fracción." It was a statement not a question.

"I believe that would be best. You two seem to have a history together and Ulquiorra you have yet to have a Fracción." It was decided.

Adelita didn't expect to be sharing his room though. Apparently all fraccion had to share a room with their Espada master. She finally understood why Ulquiorra never wanted one.

* * *

The large double bed with cyan sheets looked almost welcoming as she looked down at them. Her whole body was exhausted from the intense training Aizen had put her through to try and gain back her powers at a quicker pace. It was succeeding, however it took a toll on her body. She had felt the muscles tearing and pulling out of their rightful places throughout the whole thing.

She flopped onto bed almost immediately, sweat and all.

She had gotten used to sharing a room with Ulquiorra. The room directly next to his was her's-to-be. They had to wait until she was an Espada before she could have it.

She soon found herself asleep; she was more exhausted than she thought.

* * *

Days or maybe weeks, Adelita had lost count, went by before Aizen had given her mission. It was simple enough, for an Espada at least. She wasn't even back to half power and he had already given her a mission to either take care or recruit this one Vasto Lorde that had caught his eye. Luckily, Ulquiorra had volunteered to help her. She wasn't sure if it was because he cared about her or if he thought she was too weak to take care of it herself. Either way it meant that he cared enough not to let her die.

In the time she had been training she had at least had obtained some level of sonido again. So at least when they were travelling she could get around faster.

After travelling for a few days they finally found the Vasto Lorde Aizen was interested in. His mask was grotesque and much too hard to describe. He had a third eye that was closed in the middle of his forehead. His body was large and had many spikes sprouting from his body. They could see his grin from underneath the mask, sharp crooked yellow teeth that could frighten even the toughest of people. He was tall and quite large; he dwarfed both of them by at least two feet.

His grin widened further as he literally pulled one of the spikes protruding from his body. As soon as it was off his body the place where the spike had been pulled from a new one grew. The spike he was holding became engulfed in a red light, it lengthened and became slightly thinner. He threw it at the two of them; both of them easily used a sonido to escape the impact. They didn't expect it to spilt in half and for each one to follow them.

The spike following her almost made an impact on her before she unsheathed her sword. She used it as a shield to prevent the spike from reaching her. It took difficulty and her feet kept on sliding back in the sand.

_I still haven't gotten back my strength yet!_ Her thoughts were in disarray. _Why did Aizen send me on this mission when he knows I hardly have any power?_

Using up the strength she had she pushed against the spike and pointed her index finger at it. A violet cero began to form on her finger; she fired it at the spike. It didn't do much seeing as her cero wasn't even at half power yet and the spike began charging at her again. She held up her sword and brought it down on the spike as it came close to reaching her. The spike was cut in half and this time it stopped. The red light disappeared and the white spike fell uselessly on the ground.

She looked over to where Ulquiorra was. He was fighting against the Vasto Lorde now. Ulquiorra had probably taken care of the red spike coming after him before the actual Vasto Lorde had gone after him. She watched, she knew he would win at least until she saw the Vasto Lorde give Ulquiorra a gash an inch deep on his upper arm.

Her eyes widened as her logic once again dissipated. Her sword fell silently onto the white sand. Ulquiorra had been injured, his red blood dripping almost endlessly from the wound. The Vasto Lorde must have thought he was gaining the upper hand as he poured his power into the spike he was holding and tried to stab Ulquiorra. Common sense was but a forgotten memory as Adelita used a sonido to stop the blow. She caught the sharp blade with her left hand and small droplets dripped from the small wound on her hand.

Her hierro wasn't great so it wasn't long before the spike punctured her hand entirely. Her eyes widened significantly as the Vasto Lorde's grin stretched even further than what was supposed to be possible.

Ulquiorra looked uncaring but inside his emotions were flaring. Ulquiorra got ready to attack and murder the Vasto Lorde standing in front of him. The Vasto Lorde opened his third eye and his grin looked like it was about to reach his eyes. The Vasto Lorde pulled Adelita's shocked form tightly against his larger body. She tried desperately to get away from him but her strength was still miniscule compared to his. This only gave Ulquiorra another reason to send the Vasto Lorde into the reincarnation cycle. Ulquiorra got ready to charge at the Vasto Lorde and take his head right off his shoulders.

"No, no, little boy. This girl serves more than a shield. I can make spikes come out of my body wherever I want. Do you want to see what happens to this girl if you try to come any closer?" His voice matched his appearance.

He didn't wait for a response.

Adelita felt sharp pointed spikes press against her skin. Her weak hierro gave her little protection from the spikes that pierced the skin on her arms, legs, body, everywhere but her face. She bit back the scream that was trying to spill from her lips. The spikes stopped moving after they were about an inch deep. They stayed in her body but they didn't try to go any further.

Ulquiorra couldn't see the many spikes impaling her body but he could see the many pools of red blood staining the otherwise white sand.

"Come one more step and my spikes will keep on going through her until there's nothing left to run through." His sadistic voice running through her ears, "Why don't you scream, little girl? I know how much pain you're going through right now."

"Go to hell." The rare curse was muffled slightly.

"So feisty, but that's how I like them." His voice becoming so sickening.

He pulled her off of him and held her by her waist in his larger palms. Her feet were dangling off of the ground. He pressed his thumbs against her ribs; he kept on applying pressure until a sickening snapping sound resounded along with her shrill scream. Her head drooped as she began to pant.

"So beautiful, don't you think little boy? Such a scream is like music to my very ears." He could see the anger swelling inside of Ulquiorra, even though Ulquiorra looked as impassive as ever.

Adelita tried to breathe normally between her heavy pants. She saw out of the corner of her eye Ulquiorra getting ready to release his zanpakutou.

"No, Ulquiorra-sama. Wait a little." A small pained smile was on her features as she whispered. It soon disappeared.

She placed her smaller hands on top of his larger ones and pried his thumbs and index fingers off of her waist.

_It's only a little more but some of my strength is back… _She could feel some of previous power returning back to her.

"Oh, so it seems you're not as weak as you look, but that's not good enough." His whisper made her want to throw up.

One of his hands let go of her waist and secured itself on her right arm. He pulled on it until a disgusting pop was heard coming from her shoulder. An ear-piercing scream soon followed.

Ulquiorra couldn't stand it and as soon as she let out a scream he was already charging.

"I hope this girl has a fun time in death…" The Vasto Lorde's amusement was as freakish as his face.

He pulled her close again and sent a spike straight through the middle of her chest. The Vasto Lorde looked confused as no blood fell from the 'wound' and no blood had appeared on his spike.

"Finally…" Her whisper was raspy.

She pointed her left index finger at his chest and sent a violet cero at him. It wasn't powerful enough to do any real damage but it sent her flying away from him and he was sent back at least 10 metres. Ulquiorra caught her before she landed on the sand, his arms securely around her shoulders and underneath her knees.

"Now, Ulquiorra-sama." A small sad smile on her face.

"Stupid woman. Do you know how stupid that was?" An annoyed mutter, "And how many times do have I to tell you not to call me that? You know I hate repeating myself."

She let her smile go the tiniest bit wider as her eyes began to close. He placed her gently on the ground and the last thing she heard were him saying 2 simple words.

"Bind Murciélago."

* * *

She awoke in a slight daze. It was a dark room that she was familiar with. It was Ulquiorra's room. When she tried to get up she felt something holding her down. She looked to her side to see the sleeping face of Ulquiorra. Her face reddened and she was glad it dark _and _he was asleep. She could see that his arm had been placed around her. She carefully and gently got out from under Ulquiorra's arm. As she got out of the bed she felt pain go to every part of her. She crumpled slightly from it. Her right arm was out of its socket and hung limply next to her, the lower part of her ribs ached because they had been snapped.

She saw him stir slightly, probably from not having her there. She looked at the bandage wrapped tightly around his arm; she could see some blood showing through the bandages. She frowned slightly. Ignoring the many injuries on herself she untied the too-tight bandage. Her fingers glowed white as the blood stopped and the skin joined together. There was hardly any trace that he was ever injured. She smiled slightly before walking away from the bed.

She felt herself around the room until she found the bathroom. She looked at herself. She saw that she had been stripped down to her bra and her underwear. She blushed inwardly before inspecting the many bandages that had been carefully wound around her body. She lifted her left hand to her ribs and her hand glowed white, healing each broken one slowly, then after holding the upper part of her right arm she popped it back into place, a pained expression was displayed on her face as she popped it back. Holding her fingers to the socket her fingers began to glow white and pain slowly left her arm. She untied each of the bandages and healed them until there was only a small scratch was left. She looked at her tightly bound left hand, even though it was bound so tightly she could still see the blood going through it. She tried to heal it like her other wounds but she only succeeded in making the large hole smaller. The hole was almost as big as her whole palm but now after some healing it only had a diameter of about 1 inch. She looked to the side of the sink to see rolls of bandages that had been cut and used. She smiled inwardly to herself as she unrolled some and wound it around her palm. She frowned when she could still see some blood seeping through the bandages.

She thought maybe it was time for a wardrobe change and walked over to her closet. She pulled out a set of clothes she thought wouldn't look too bad together and quickly changed. She looked at the mirror to check if she looked like some sort of idiot.

She didn't look too bad. She wore a white long sleeved left one shoulder top, it was long and had a diagonal cut at the hem. There was a wide black ribbon she had tied just underneath her chest. On her right hand there was a white fingerless glove that went up to her elbow. Over it she wore a white short sleeved jacket with buttons, she decided to only buttoned the middle one. She had pulled out a knee-length white hakama; her sword was resting on her right hip.

She quietly pulled on knee-high arrancar boots and silently left Ulquiorra's room. Sighing in relief she walked down one of the many corridors of Las Noches. She was saddened by the events that had occurred, the fact she had been so useless, it made her wonder why Ulquiorra still saved her. She was trapped in her depressive thoughts; that was until she had a little talk with Apache.

_Apache-san is better at cheering people up that _she _lets on… _Her thoughts strayed to her friend.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by bumping into a certain person.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Her apology was complimented by a short bow.

"Well, maybe you can make it up to me." His horrible voice all too familiar.

"Nnoitra-san." Her voice barely a whisper.

"Ah, so you know my name." He licked his lips as he said this.

"Well, see you Nnoitra-san." Her polite response contradicted what she was really feeling.

She quickly used sonido to get away from him. She wasn't quick enough though. As soon as she had gotten away, Nnoitra used his own faster sonido to catch up.

Adelita immediately found herself pinned to one of the white walls. Her wrists were pinned beside her head and her front was pressed against the wall. Her right cheek pressed roughly against the wall. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"That's not nice, Adelita-_chan_." His voice sent shivers up and down her spine.

His lips brushed against her ear and every time it did Adelita wanted to get away from him even more.

"Nnoitra-san, please get off of me." She tried to keep her rising panic in check.

"Call me Nnoitra-sama." His voice was bone-chilling.

"I only address Ulquiorra-sama like that." Her calm voice was betraying panic she was feeling.

"Now why does Ulquiorra get to keep such a fine _thing_ to himself?" His hissing was accompanied by his nibbling on her ear.

Adelita felt quite insulted, he had addressed her as a thing.

He leaned down to use his too-long tongue to lick her porcelain cheek. Adelita tried her best to push him away but it only provoked him to squeeze her wrists harder and press more tightly against her. He tried to capture her lips but when he was just about to brush against her's he felt a powerful blow and was thrown 15 metres down the corridor.

She found a deathly pale hand wipe off the saliva still on her cheek. She looked up to see a rather indifferent Ulquiorra.

"Ulquiorra-sama… How did you…?" Curiosity written all over her face.

"_You_ can't sneak out of a room without waking people up _and_ Grimmjow is too loud for his own good." His impassive answers made her cheeks flush from embarrassment.

"Oh! I didn't mean to wake you up Ulquiorra-sama- wait a second! Did you just say Grimm-chan was- what? I'm confused!" Her apology was quickly replaced by her befuddlement.

"He means that I was shouting your name outside of your room." She looked to where the familiar voice came from.

Standing a few metres down the corridor was standing the one and only Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.

"Grimm-chan, why were you-" Her question remained unfinished.

Grimmjow had walked to where she was and placed his larger hand on her head.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" His was voice gruff.

"I dunno… Maybe…" She started to try and count on her fingers, "Well, a lot? Anyway, I told you I would stop calling you that when you stopped treating me like a kid!"

"I'll stop treating you like a kid when you stop acting like one." He was barely able to dodge her hand, if he hadn't he would have had ended up with a big red mark on the side of his head, "I was trying to check if you were okay."

"Why would you do that? I mean I seem pretty okay…" She looked down at her scratched body, "mostly…"

"I'm not talking about that, you clueless idiot." Once again, he barely managed to get away from an incoming slap, "It was about something that bastard Nnoitra had told me. Speaking of which…"

They both turned their attention to where Nnoitra was supposed to be. It seemed Ulquiorra had already taken care of that problem.

"Grimm-chan, what did he tell you exactly?" Her face was full of curiosity.

"Nothing much. Just something that made me want to check up on you." He was trying to keep the actual thing he had told him a secret.

"_Sometimes don't you just wish you could the clothes right off her body? I mean, why does that bastard Ulquiorra get to keep something so fine to himself? Have you ever wondered what it's like to hear her scream your name out like there was no tomorrow? To feel every single inch and curve of her body, eh Grimmjow?" _

The words burned through his ears like a raging fire set to dry grass.

"Grimm-chan… I know what he really said was something that you think is too 'grown up' for me! Stop treating me like a child!" Her voice was reaching a whole new octave.

Then she pouted, like a child.

_Oh no… She is so _not _using the pout. Oh god. _His thoughts were trying to stay in order.

"And this is why I treat you like one." His hand once again on her head, he looked away trying his best to ignore the expression on her face.

"Oh, Grimm-chan! It couldn't have been _that _bad!" Her pout disappeared, her eyes trying to see if they could find out anything.

"If you were there you would have known that it was _that_ bad." He was still trying to resist the urge to blurt the whole thing out to her.

"God, Grimm-chan!" Her exasperated sigh made him want to sigh in relief, she swatted away his hand to tell him to start treating her like the adult she was.

"Let's go Adelita. You're getting rest." It was an order, directly from Ulquiorra.

"But, Ulquiorra-sama-" Her sentence remained unfinished. That was happening a lot these days. Why wouldn't anyone let her finish what she saying?

She soon found herself lifted up into the air. She had been thrown over Grimmjow's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her legs were dangling helplessly in front and her fisted hands showed she was angry. He kept his right arm securely around her middle.

"You heard that bastard. You need rest." She wished she could see the amusement dancing in his blue eyes so she could hurt him for it.

"Grimm-chan!" Her face was flustered, "Put me down!"

This statement only made him tighten his grip on her.

"I'll kick you in the face if you don't put me down!" Her threat was everything but empty.

"As if you could actually-" This time he was the one cut off.

Her foot was embedded in his face, he knew there was going to be a big red mark.

She hopped out of his arms, dusting her hands off and smiling gleefully as if it was the best thing ever.

"I can walk on my own thank you very-" Once again, her sentence was left unfinished, this time however it wasn't because of someone else.

She had felt a little faint and had started to tilt to the side. Ulquiorra, being who he was, caught her before she could even get close to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I guess I felt a little light-headed. I'm fine though... Don't worry." Her hand was at her forehead as she stood up on her own feet, "I guess it was a spur of the moment kind of-"

Her eyes drooped to a close as she felt unconsciousness sweep over her. She was barely conscious, her senses almost completely out of tune as she fell to the ground once more. As before, Ulquiorra was ready to catch her in his arms.

"This stupid woman." The mutter was annoyed and, though hardly noticeable, filled with concern.

He secured her knees and shoulders with his arms before walking off to his room.

"Thank you, Grimmjow." It was almost silent but Grimmjow heard it clear as day, "If you hadn't come shouting recklessly at my door I may not have made it in time."

"Eh, as you said, she's pretty stupid. That girl just doesn't know how to take care of herself. If someone wasn't constantly watching over her who knows what kind of mess she'd find herself in." He scratched the back of his head casually as he said it.

"Anyway, thank you." With that said Ulquiorra was gone in a flash.

Back in his room Ulquiorra tucked the supposedly sleeping girl into his blankets.

"You're incredibly stupid you realise that." He looked impassively at her peaceful face before getting under the covers with her, "Good night, you stupid woman."

He swung his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, he wouldn't let any harm come to her until she was ready to deal with it on her own.

* * *

"Welcome to the Espada, Adelita Freed." His voice resounded through the whole hall.

"Thank you." Her voice was small and grateful.

She sighed in relief and she walked out of the hall.

_God, all those eyes staring at me was just plain creepy… _Her thoughts caused her to frown.

"Lita-chan!" The familiar voice calling her name was coming from behind.

"Nel-cha-" Why did everyone have to keep on interrupting her?

She felt herself be tackled to ground by a very energetic and joyful Neliel.

"Congratulations!" Her voice was bouncier than usual.

"Oh, t-thank you." She was still a little startled from the whole tackle.

"So have you managed to steal a kiss from Ulqui yet?" A suspicious-looking glint appeared in Nel's eyes.

"W-what d-do y-you mean-n?" Her stuttering was complimented by her cherry red face.

"You mean that you've been sharing his room _and_ his bed for the last how many weeks and you still haven't made your move?" The Adelita's confusion caused her to sigh exasperatedly, "God Lita-chan! You've had all this time and now you're moving _out _of his room. You wasted the perfect chance!"

Adelita's ignorance sure was getting Neliel frustrated. Then a mischievous look overcame Neliel's features.

"Hey, Lita-chan…" As Neliel sent her a playful look, Adelita became even more confused.

"W-what is it Nel-chan?" Her shaky reply was the result of her not knowing what the older girl was thinking at all.

"I'm just wondering but… Have your boobs grown bigger?" Adelita was shocked at the question and dark crimson overcame her entire face.

"I d-don't k-know w-what y-you're talking-g ab-bout." Her stutters were complimented by the crimson dusting her entire face.

"How can you _not _know what I'm talking about?! They're _your_ boobs!" Neliel practically shouted making Adelita just want to get something cover the ever rising blush.

"Nel-chan, we're in public…" Adelita's voice was just above a whisper.

Neliel looked up from staring the girl underneath her down to see quite a few trying-to-hide arrancar; she could see the drool practically raining from their mouths.

"We've seemed to have gained quite a crowd." Adelita's small whisper seemed to get Neliel out of her trance.

"They're just perverts… Not like they can even lay a hand on girls like us." Neliel's voice was as confident as usual.

"B-but-" As usual something happened that left her unable to finish what she was saying. Why is it she can never finish her sentences now?

"Fine then… I'll ask someone that should know." Before the sentence could even register in Adelita's mind Neliel had literally jumped off of her and began running down the corridor, "Hey Grimmy!"

"No way! Nel-chan!" Adelita shouted at the girl before running after her.

Neliel stopped running and turned to her playfully.

"So, you do know what I'm talking about!" Neliel sent her a teasing look as Adelita still lived in ignorance, "I won't ask Grimmy then. Ulqui, where are you? I have a question."

Neliel was already running down the corridor once more before Adelita could figure out what was happening.

"No, don't ask Ulquiorra-sa- Ulquiorra." She put her fingers to her lips as she stumbled over the usual suffix.

She remembered the promise she made him.

* * *

"_How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? I hate repeating myself."_

"_I can't call you informally like I used to. Not until I am your equal once again. It won't feel right if I call you like I used to. Back then I had more power; I wasn't as weak as I am now."_

"_I don't care. Just stop calling me that."_

"_I promise I'll stop it when I am strong enough to become an Espada, okay?"_

"_Hn…"

* * *

_

"You're finally calling me by my real name." The voice behind Adelita almost made her jump.

"Ulquiorra… Well, I did promise you. I always keep my promises!" A bright smile graced her features as her voice became livelier.

"Congratulations." He gave her a simple word.

"Thank you…" Her voice had become small as her face dusted baby pink.

An awkward silence soon followed. Adelita looked around trying to find something that would fill up the silence.

"Hey Ulqui, I have a question!" The loud voice rang through the silence, footsteps following it.

"No way! Nel-chan!"

* * *

Heavy eyelids slowly lifted open as bright violet eyes began to show. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake up fully. She sat up in the bed, hand on the side of her head and realised she was laying underneath familiar cyan sheets. She looked around the room to realise that this certainly wasn't her room; it was much too neat and tidy.

A door opened and light shone into the otherwise dark room. Adelita brought her hand to her eyes to try and shield her vision for the brightness. A familiar figure stood in the doorway.

"Ulquiorra…" Adelita whispered, barely able to see through the gaps between her fingers.

He closed the door behind him as he silently walked closer to where she was. Adelita moved her hand from her eyes back to the side of her head.

"How long have I been out? I mean it must have been long…" Her throat was slightly dry voice now and her eyes felt groggy.

"Three days…" He answered simply, the usual bored expression on his face.

"Wow… That long? Wait a second… I've been out for days, in _your _bed-" She practically jumped out of his bed as soon as the thought crossed her mind and went into a short bow, "I'm so sorry!" She immediately regained her posture, "I took up your bed Ulquiorra! Where have you been sleeping?"

"My bed. It is not like you and I have never shared one before." He told her in his usual impassive tone.

"Oh right… I guess I'm sort of used to sleeping in my own room now…" A small nervous laugh followed her words, "You want to know what I dreamed about?" No reply came, "It doesn't sound interesting but it was about our past… From when I knew nothing but killing to when I just became Espada… Weird, huh?"

"…" He gave her a silent reply.

"So, did I miss out on anything while I was out?" She asked him, a curious look on her face.

"Yes. I have a mission in the Human World, while I am gone you are to stay here." He informed her.

* * *

Finally done… I'm actually extremely proud of this chapter. I didn't take forever and a day to update it! Yay! *happy dance* Anyway, back to business *uses business woman voice* how was it? Did I get anyone out of character? I know you're probably thinking 'What the hell? Why didn't Ulquiorra kill her? She was on the verge of death and he's like the heartless cold hollow right? Plus why's he sort of nice to her but doesn't say anything?'. Well, my friends or enemies or acquaintances or whoever you are that will be explained in another chapter. As you can see this chapter was taken in the normal point of view but if Adelita doesn't know something neither do you because guess what? It's her dream, big surprise right? Oh and Ulquiorra strikes me more as an 'actions speak more than words' kind of person so he's like kind of silent but he has his own little ways of showing he cares…

Anyway (love that word, don't you?) did you like it? Please review! Constructive criticism is strongly recommended! No flaming or I will tell the magical purple knome fairies that you were being a meanie pants! Then they'll eat your soul… Grr… Just kidding, but please review; I'm in dire need…

Next Chapter: Missing her Touch (may change)

See ya next chappie!


	3. Missing Her Touch

**Ai Angel: Hey there! New chapter again! Yay! Isn't that wonderful? I'm trying as hard as I can to update this one as much as possible to try and keep up with the manga… Well, enjoy please!**

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* * *

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Chapter 3: Missing Her Touch

"Yo, Adelita!" She heard a familiar oafish voice call out to her.

"Ah, Yammy-san." Adelita acknowledged as she turned to face the large hollow.

"Heard that Ulquiorra was going to the Human World." Yammy said awkwardly, he obviously wanted something.

"Yammy-san, what do you want me to do?" As she said this Yammy gave her a questionable look which made her giggle softly, "You don't make small chat with me unless you want me to do something for you."

"…Can you convince Ulquiorra to let me go with him to the human world?" Yammy asked her weirdly.

Adelita gave him a small smile, "Umm… I don't know… Shouldn't you try asking him yourself first? I mean, most people don't come to me until _after _he's said no. I really can't figure out why though… It's not like I have anymore chance of him saying yes than any other normal person…"

_This girl is so oblivious… _Yammy thought to himself.

"I have. He said he could deal with it solo." Yammy told her, before she could open her mouth to talk, he continued, "I really need to go to the Human World, Adelita."

"I don't know. I want to help but I mean Ulquiorra has a reason to say no. This mission isn't really one that needs more than one Espada." Adelita reasoned but Yammy was persistent.

"Adelita, haven't you ever thought that maybe the enemy would be stronger than Ulquiorra? Don't you remember how you got that scar on your left hand?" Yammy told her, he was trying to hit her weak points.

"I was being foolish back then." Adelita mumbled before raising her voice to normal volume again, "Anyway, there's no way a human could be stronger than the cuarto Espada."

"Adelita it isn't impossible. Just ask him for-" Yammy tried once again.

"What are you doing, Yammy?" An extremely familiar cold voice rang through Adelita's ears. She let out a small smile as she heard it.

"Ulquiorra." Adelita whispered as she turned to the said arrancar.

"What do you need from me?" Yammy was obviously taken aback from his question, "You never go to Adelita unless you want her to ask me something."

"Ulquiorra, it's nothing really. Yammy-san just wanted to… umm talk?" Adelita defended trying to lie to the Espada that could always tell when she was lying. She waved her hands defensively in front of her as she spoke.

"Adelita you can't lie." He told her in a tone as if pointing out the obvious before walking past her to face Yammy, "What did you want to ask me?"

"Just let me come with you to the real world!" Yammy almost yelled at Ulquiorra.

"No." Ulquiorra replied flatly.

"Come on Ulquiorra!" Yammy tried to persist.

"I dislike repeating myself Yammy." Ulquiorra answered finally before turning on his heel walking away, he stopped after he was a few metres away, "I dislike it even more when people try to use Adelita to try and get to me."

Ulquiorra resumed walking away, his coattails trailing after him as he walked.

"Ulquiorra just say yes dammit!" Yammy yelled at the impassive man, who just ignored him effortlessly.

"I'm sorry, Yammy-san. I'll ask once for you… I doubt he'll say yes though." Adelita told him unsurely before running after the other male.

_Manipulating that girl is almost _too_ easy… _Yammy smiled triumphantly to himself, he knew he would definitely get to go to the Human World now.

"Ulquiorra. Don't you think you should at least listen to Yammy-san?" Adelita tried to reason.

"All he wants is to get into a fight." Ulquiorra told her simply.

"I know but you know he'll keep asking you until you actually say yes." Adelita informed him.

Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks and after taking a few steps forward Adelita stopped as well.

"Ulquiorra…?" Adelita inquired, she turned to face him.

He didn't answer her but she found her self pressed against the wall that was standing behind her. It was a lot closer than she thought it was. There were only a few inches of space between the two of them, his hand placed on the wall next to her face.

"You're too naïve." He told her flatly, "With only a little persistence Yammy was able to convince you. It isn't so much of a problem of people asking _me _rather people asking _you_."

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. I want to say no but I just can't." Adelita's eyes shifted to the ground as she said this, "I'm so useless, I'm useless and trash_… _I'm useless trash_…_"

"You are not trash, Adelita." He stated simply making Adelita's eyes shift to his face.

"Wha-" Adelita didn't get to finish her sentence.

The hand that had once been place on the wall was now on her back. The space that was once in between them was now non-existent. The other hand was now at the back of her head, pushing it past his shoulder.

The exceptionally rare display of affection startled Adelita. She had no choice but to reciprocate the action, both her hands found their way onto his upper back.

"Being trash and being naïve are two different things. Just because you are naïve does not mean you are trash." Ulquiorra whispered in her ear making her blush deeply.

After a split second his arms were off of her and her arms were off of his back. The space between them now existing, leaving more space between them then when they started.

"Ulquiorra… Be careful, okay? You are going alone…" Adelita told him with a smile.

"No, I'm not." Ulquiorra told her monotonously.

"What do you mean?" Adelita asked him, a quizzical look on her face.

"Yammy will be coming with me. He'll get too annoying if I continue to refuse." Ulquiorra sighed slightly as he said it.

"Oh… Well, still be careful." Adelita wished him with a smile.

"You should be careful as well." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked; she was rather curious.

"Just be careful. I told you you were naïve, just be careful there are many here who would like to take advantage of that." Ulquiorra warned.

"I guess. I can take care of myself, you don't have to worry." Adelita reassured.

He didn't respond as he walked away. Adelita watched his retreating back walk further and further away from her.

Adelita sighed sadly to herself. Why did she suddenly feel so lonely? Was it because he wouldn't be near her for a while? She didn't know, after all this was the first time Aizen had sent him on a mission without her. The thought that had just crossed her mind made her feel slightly angered.

_No! I can't be so dependent. Ulquiorra's probably getting sick of me always being with him. I don't always have to stay with him; I could always be by myself. _Adelita's thoughts were only what she wanted to feel and she knew it. She knew inside that she actually wanted to stay by his side forever.

* * *

"I'm back." Adelita twirled on her heel to see a face that she hadn't seen for a few hours.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra." She smiled sweetly as she said it.

She didn't know when but he had suddenly walked very close to her leaving no space between them. He then leaned his forehead on the top her head startling her slightly.

"Ulquiorra, were you hurt?" She was worried; she tried to keep the worry from being painfully obvious though. He usually didn't do such actions to her, "Was the mission tiring?"

"No. I just need you stay like this for a while." His voice was as impassive as always but his eyes said something else however they were hidden in her hair.

"O-okay…" She stuttered in agreement, she wasn't used to this type of attention from him. She slowly reciprocated the action by wrapping her arms around his back as he savoured her touch.

After a while he lifted his forehead from her hair as she let go of him.

"Thank you, Adelita." He said almost silently as he exited her room.

"You're welcome." She replied softly.

* * *

He silently closed her door behind him.

"Oya! Ulquiorra, did ya miss her?" A sly voice reached his ears.

"No, I was gone for mere hours. That is hardly enough to miss someone." Ulquiorra reminded the grinning man, "It would hardly be your place to speak of missing someone. I recall that you miss a certain female Shinigami."

"Now where did ya hear that?" Gin asked, his sly smile unchanging, "Did Adelita-chan tell ya?"

"My sources are to be kept anonymous." His secretive answer definitely meant 'yes'.

"Aya. An' she promised she'd tell no one." Gin said thoughtfully his grin becoming a fraction smaller before returning to its original size, "Guess when it comes ta ya, she keeps no secrets. But I could tell ya really missed Adelita-chan. Ya usually don't show emotions."

"It's not like that, Gin. It's something else." Ulquiorra replied before turning and walking away.

"Then why'd ya see her before ya went ta report back to Captain Aizen?" Gin asked suspiciously making Ulquiorra stop in his tracks.

"That is something I'd rather keep to myself." Ulquiorra replied before continuing to walk.

"Was it because ya missed her touch?" Gin's words made Ulquiorra stop before he resumed walking.

_He missed Adelita-chan's touch. Ah, Ran-chan, how I miss yer touch. _Gin thought almost sadly to himself before resuming his walking.

* * *

Almost as soon as Ulquiorra had left her room a lower ranked arrancar had appeared.

"Adelita-sama, Aizen-sama has called for all the Espada and their Fracción to go for a meeting." The lowly arrancar informed Adelita, he was kneeling on the ground as he repeated the message.

"Yes, thank you." Adelita dismissed before grabbing her sword and making her way out of her room towards the meeting hall.

Adelita took her place in the large hall where Ulquiorra and Yammy stood in the centre. Aizen sat on a wide chair at the top. Yammy had lost an arm, his body was hunching close to the floor and his only other arm clutching the stump of his other arm.

"We have returned, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra stated seriously.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra, Yammy." Aizen greeted, "Now then. Share your findings with your twenty brothers and sisters in the room… Go ahead Ulquiorra, show us what you saw and felt in the human world."

"As you," Ulquiorra began before moving his hand to remove his left eye, "wish."

The eye came out almost with smoothly and Ulquiorra held it in between his fingers. With great ease he crushed the eye, the remnants drifting in the air.

"Please look carefully." Ulquiorra said instructed.

The remnants wafted around the room in front of the many arrancar in the room. The eye remnants floated to everyone there and showed them an instant replay of the battle.

"I see." Aizen said interrupting the long lasting silence, "So that is why you decided he wasn't worth killing."

"Yes sir, as your orders were to 'kill him if it seems as though he might become an interference to us' also-" Ulquiorra began explaining.

"That's weak. If it were me I would have killed them all in one attack." Grimmjow rudely interrupted.

"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra warned.

"If your order have the phrase 'kill him' in them I'm pretty darn sure it's best if you kill him! Right!?" Grimmjow said arrogantly.

"I agree. If he is an enemy even if there is no value in killing him, there is certainly no value in letting him live." Shawlong Kufang butted in.

_He's only saying that because he's Grimm-chan's Fracción. _Adelita thought whilst puffing out her cheeks before deflating them back to their normal size.

"And Yammy! Look at how badly beaten up you got!" Grimmjow exclaimed, "You're say 'there's no value in killing him' but I all I hear is 'we couldn't kill him'!"

"Hey Grimmjow! Didn't you just watch that!? I was beat up by the sandal guy and the dark lady. Not by that kid." Yammy reminded Grimmjow in an irritated tone.

"Didn't you hear what I said? I said I'd kill _all _of them!" Grimmjow shouted at Yammy as if pointing out the obvious.

The meeting carried on like this with Ulquiorra explaining to Grimmjow why he chose not to kill the boy with orange hair whilst Grimmjow continued to try and prove his point. Adelita sighed exasperatedly; she never understood why those two could never get along.

"Apart," Aizen interrupted the on going argument, "from what your brothers may say, I'm impressed with your work, Ulquiorra."

"I am very grateful." Ulquiorra thanked whilst making a low bow.

Adelita had to bite her lip as he did this, she really couldn't stand it. She felt like screaming. Then she looked at Grimmjow, she could see the anger practically radiating from him and the deep scowl wasn't helping at all. She sent him a worried look which he obviously didn't catch.

* * *

Adelita tossed and turned her bed, unable to get a wink of sleep. She couldn't get to sleep, at least not after what happened that day. She couldn't stop thinking that Grimmjow would do something stupid, as usual. This time though, it seemed different, it seemed like he would do something _extremely _stupid.

_He might actually get hurt this time. _Adelita thought worriedly.

Unable to stop thinking about it she climbed out of her bed. Her bare feet felt cold against the stone floors but he ignored it as she walked out of her room towards Grimmjow's. On her way to his room she bumped, literally, into Apache.

"I'm sorry Apache-san. I'm a little sleepy. I can't get to sleep." Adelita apologized with a bow and smile.

"So am I." Apache agreed almost bashfully before she looked at Adelita clearly, "Are you sure you want to out in an outfit like that?"

Adelita looked at herself. She had to regretfully agree that her outfit was kind of revealing. It was a short white spaghetti strap dress. The four black straps, two at the back two at the front, were supposed to be tied together at her shoulders however because of her nonstop tossing and turning they had become undone. Since the straps that were supposed to keep the dress up were undone the dress slid down a little, exposing some of her cleavage. The dress was already quite short, only reaching her mid-thighs so it showed off the slim legs she usually hid behind loose hakama pants.

"Apache-san, you're outfit isn't much better." Adelita reminded with a small giggle making Apache blush.

Adelita was right; Apache's outfit wasn't that modest either. She wore a loose white short sleeve top that only reached to her belly button and the neck was falling off her shoulder revealing more of her breasts than normal. Her black shorts hardly reached her mid-thighs, so her legs there to show off to the world.

"Fine, but you've got a nicer body then I do so then horny sons of bitches are more likely to stare at _you_." Apache reminded.

"Thank you for the advice Apache-san but where I'm going, one of them would kill all the guys who try to stare at me." Adelita said with a giggle before walking off.

"You're not going to see Grimmjow are you?" Apache asked with a mischievous look.

Adelita stopped in her tracks and turned to face Apache again. She nervously rubbed the back of her head and smiled anxiously.

"Umm… Maybe?" Adelita replied unsurely.

"Good. Now I have someone to come with me. I'll need help against those horny bastards. You're going to help me knock some sense into that stupid idiot." Apache stated whilst walking quickly, she grabbed Adelita's right wrist in a vice like grip and dragged her along.

"Apache-san, why do you care about Grimm-chan? Usually you two fight non-stop." Adelita asked before a mischievous look appeared on her features, "Oh my gosh! Apache-san, you don't happen to be worried about Grimm-chan?"

"Don't be stupid! I just don't want that bastard to die before I win my bet." Apache stopped in her tracks as she replied ignorantly before turning her head so that Adelita wouldn't see her ever growing blush.

"Apache-san you're blushing!" Adelita teased excitedly.

"I am _not_!" Apache exclaimed before continuing to walk to Grimmjow's room, her blush unfading.

"Hey Apache-san, can I ask you something?" Adelita asked.

"Y-yeah, what is it?" Apache replied unsteadily, she was embarrassed.

"Do you like Grimm-chan? I mean, you two are always fighting and some people think that when people pretend to hate each other they actually really, really like each other." Adelita asked curiously, her curiosity was taking over.

"N-NO!!! Who ever told you something stupid like that?" Apache stopped in her tracks to exclaim hotly at the other girl.

"Bel-onee-chan of course!" Adelita answered, a bright smile on her face.

"When did Halibel-sama ever tell you something like that!?" Apache asked the other girl.

"Well it sort of happened like this…" Adelita began.

* * *

_Flashback _

_An Espada meeting had just finished. Whilst waiting for her master Espada outside Apache had once again started an argument with Grimmjow._

_Adelita heard Halibel sigh at the sight at them._

"_Bel-onee-chan?" The younger girl asked the older woman._

"_Those two are so ignorant." She replied simply._

"_Why's that? Don't they always_ _argue?" Adelita asked curiously._

"_Have you ever heard that sometimes the more you pretend to hate someone the more you actually like them?" Halibel answered._

"_Does that mean that even though Grimm-chan and Apache-san pretend to hate each other to no end they actually _really_ like each other?" Adelita tried to confirm._

_Halibel nodded, confirming her interpretation._

"_Well, sometimes that doesn't work. I mean you and Stark-onii-chan are _always _together and you _never_ argue. Everyone knows that you two are together." Adelita said cheerfully whilst eying the older woman._

"_Now, now Adelita. I wouldn't be talking about us when you have a lover boy over there." A lazy voice chimed in._

_There Stark was, out of nowhere, next to Halibel. He had an arm swung lazily around Halibel's shoulders whilst the other was pointing sloppily at Ulquiorra's retreating figure._

"_Stark-onii-chan!" Adelita protested._

_Flashback end

* * *

_

"… So you see, even Bel-onee-chan thinks so." Adelita finished.

"I don't care! I really hate that blue haired son of bitch!" Apache shouted before her voice quietened down and turned into a questioning tone, "Since when have that lazy ass Stark and Halibel-sama been together?"

"Oops, I've said too much!" Adelita said cheekily, whilst she ran off to where Grimmjow's room was.

"ADELITA-SAN!!!" Apache shouted running after the girl.

Grimmjow heard a few knocks at his door and glared at it. He grabbed the closest object to him, which happened to be a lamp, and threw it at the door.

"Go away!" He shouted at the door, not knowing who it was.

"Grimmjow, you son of bitch open this door!" A familiar rude voice shouted.

"Go away, you bitch!" Grimmjow shouted in response.

"Grimm-chan! Please open this door, if you don't I won't hesitate to pry it open myself!" The voice was familiar and he knew it wasn't kidding.

Not wanting to have his door forcefully opened, via the hinges, he practically scrambled to the door to open it.

Only one thing was going through the minds of the fracción as their Espada master frantically got to the door.

_Is he supposed to be an Espada?_

As he opened he saw the two familiar girls arguing.

"Just kick it open Adelita-san!" Apache ordered.

"B-but that's rude! He can't _not _have a door! People would be able to see through the open doorway!" Adelita reasoned.

"You threatened to pry it open so don't wuss out on your own threat! You're an Espada for God's sake!" Apache reminded to the girl.

"But-" Adelita began.

"What the hell are you two doing outside my room!?" Grimmjow shouted angrily before looking at them with a questioning look, "Scratch that. Why in the name of God are you outside of my room dressed like _that_?"

They knew he was referring to their rather revealing clothes.

"They're pyjamas dumb shit! Now let us in! Do you have any idea what so ever how freaking cold it is out here!?" Apache shouted at the Espada angrily.

"Apache-san's right. It's freezing; I really should have worn something over this stupid dress." Adelita complained, her arms wrapped around herself.

Grimmjow let out an annoyed sigh as he stepped out of the doorway letting the two girls inside.

"Just don't come running to me when these guys try to rape you two." Grimmjow warned, he used his thumb to point backwards. He obviously meant his fracción.

"Yeah, yeah. Unlike you Halibel-sama picks strong fracción." Apache teased the Espada, her tongue pointed out at him.

"You know what? You can freeze for all I care bitch!" Grimmjow stated almost calmly as his hand found the small of her back and turned her to face the outside again.

"Grimm-chan! Just let Apache-san-" Adelita began before realising the two of them were too busy arguing.

They argued for a while, something along the lines of Grimmjow being a dumbass and Apache being as weak as hell.

_Bel-onee-chan is right. Those two must _really _like each other… _Adelita thought exasperatedly.

"So what are the both of you doing here?" Grimmjow asked suddenly, he was obviously irritated.

"Grimm-chan, you wouldn't happen to be thinking of doing anything stupid?" Adelita asked abruptly, she hadn't really thought what she was going to say through.

"What the hell kind of question is that!?" Grimmjow asked angrily, the question had taken him aback.

"She wants to know if you're planning to go and do something stupid, dumbass." Apache replied rudely, her hands placed behind her head which only caused her already short top to ride up further.

"No! Why the hell would you think that?" Grimmjow answered furiously.

"I was just worried, okay? The way you acted today… it just… made me feel a little… restless." Adelita answered tensely, she fiddled with her fingers as she spoke.

"What the heck did you think I was going to do?" Grimmjow asked suspiciously.

"I thought a little and I thought that maybe… I thought that maybe you would go to the Human World to try and kill anyone there that had any form of reiatsu no matter how small…" Adelita responded anxiously, when she saw the guilty look on Grimmjow's face she eyed him, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques you aren't planning on doing on that are you?"

"N-no! Of course that isn't it!" Grimmjow stuttered back to her.

"Okay…" Adelita let it go even though she knew he was already going to do it, "There's no use trying to stop you right? I just wanted to know if you were going to do something incredibly stupid again. Be careful, I don't want you to get hurt…" She said with a pained smile before letting out a tired sigh, "Well, goodnight. Can't say I won't be tossing and turning tonight, but it's your choice not mine."

Adelita turned to leave the room and opened the door. As she was about to exit she looked back at him, a rather pained expression on her face.

"Oi, Adelita." Grimmjow called out to the girl just as she was about to let go of the door, "Thanks." She smiled slightly at it, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Grimmjow." She said softly before letting go of the door and walking away.

"Adelita-san sure cares about you a lot. She even called you by your real name." Apache said interrupting the awkward silence.

"Yeah whatever. What are _you _doing here?" Grimmjow growled at the shorter girl, "And pull your shirt down, they're drooling." Grimmjow motioned to his fracción, which _were_ practically drooling.

"Yeah whatever." Apache said, placing her hands by her side, "I came here to knock some sense into you. Like Adelita-san I knew you were probably thinking of doing something stupid like that."

"You weren't worried about me, were you Apache?" Grimmjow taunted, his scowl replaced by a smirk.

"O-of course not you bastard!" Apache exclaimed, once again she turned her head so that her blush would be unnoticeable, "I just don't want you dead before I win the bet! God, why does everyone think that I would worry about some son of a bitch like you!?"

"You're not blushing because of me are you?" Grimmjow asked tauntingly.

He walked up to the blue haired girl, leaving no space between them. He put his larger hand on the small of her back puller her closer than she could get. Taking her chin into his hand he forced her to look straight into his teal eyes.

"Like hell I'm blushing!" She shouted at him, her blush only growing.

Apache tried to get out of his vice like grip but it only provoked him to pull her closer.

Then he did it. He closed the small gap between their lips. A shocked gasp that came from Apache was muffled by his mouth. His shoved his tongue between her lips which only caused her to let out a squeal, which was also muffled. She finally closed her eyes and flung her bare arms around his neck. After six long breathtaking seconds he moved away, allowing them both to breathe.

"What the hell was that for, bastard?" Apache asked him, it wasn't angry she actually sounded kind of…happy?

"Is this how you treat someone who just gave you a kiss?" Grimmjow smirked as he said it.

"Yeah, what about it?" Apache asked rhetorically, "Not like I asked for it."

"Oh, so you didn't want it? Maybe-" Grimmjow as interrupted.

This time it was Apache who had initiated the kiss. She caught his lips roughly, muffling whatever he was about to say. She bit on his lip _hard_; she obviously wanted to get him back for making her squeal before. He smirked into the kiss as he placed one of his hands on her thigh, lifting it up to his waist. Using the other hand that was once on her back he motioned for his fracción to leave the room. They all groaned in protest. Not such a good idea.

Breaking his kiss with the girl he sent a glare at them. Boy, if looks kill they would be dead three times over.

"Out." He commanded loudly, "Unless you want to be sent into the reincarnation cycle as soon as possible."

The threat was far from a fake one. His fracción tried to get out of the room as soon as possible.

He leaned once again to capture her lips but was stopped when she lifted her finger to his lips.

"Before we continue, are you really going to the human world tomorrow?" Apache asked the man.

"Yeah, what about it?" Grimmjow asked uncaringly.

"Don't you dare get killed or I'll revive you just to kill you again." Apache threatened.

"Like hell I'll get killed." Grimmjow replied arrogantly before claiming her lips once more.

* * *

Adelita sighed regrettably as she neared her room.

_That stupid Grimmjow… He's going to get hurt I know it… _Adelita thought gloomily.

Just as she neared her room she saw a familiar face standing at her door. She blushed at the sight of him. He was standing there in long white pyjama bottoms and nothing else.

"You shouldn't be walking around in such clothes." The monotone voice that belonged to him told her.

She chuckled softly before looking off to the side, "I wouldn't really talk if I were you either."

"I haven't been walking around Las Noches." He reminded.

"You have a point there…" She said embarrassed, she gave him a half-hearted smile.

"Where were you?" Ulquiorra asked in an impassive tone.

"Uh… Nowhere really." Adelita answered unsurely. She looked up to the ceiling trying to avoid his gaze.

"I believe I told you you couldn't lie very well and yet you continue to try." Ulquiorra sighed, "You were with that imbecile Grimmjow weren't you?"

"Why do you ask when you know the answer?" Adelita asked rhetorically when she felt his eyes bore into her, "I was just a little worried that's all."

"I'm not going to bother trying to ask what you were worried about." Ulquiorra told her as his emerald eyes found her violet ones, "I need you to come with me."

"Hmm?" Adelita wondered in a clueless tone.

Walking closer to her he held her hand in a firm yet gentle hold. His fingers intertwined with her's as he led her inside his room.

"Uh, Ulquiorra… What am I doing in your room?" Adelita asked nervously.

"I just need you near me for a while." He told as he led her to his bed.

"O-okay…" She stuttered.

She climbed onto his bed and under the covers. Ulquiorra followed in suit and soon as he was he did something he'd been doing a lot lately. The unexpected. He used one arm to find the small of her back and pulled her as close as possible. He used his other hand to press against her neck, pushing her head into his well-toned chest. Adelita couldn't help her face from turning a deep red, luckily he couldn't see her dark red face.

"Ulquiorra?" She asked nervously, "Umm… It's not like I'm objecting but is there something wrong? You usually don't do this kind of thing…"

"I just need to feel your touch for a while…" He told her, she heard something sort of like emotion in his voice.

"Oh okay…" She replied unsurely as she put her arms around his middle.

"I missed it…" He informed her; he pulled her closer than thought possible.

"I missed _you_." She told him in a slightly disappointed tone, snuggling closer to him.

"I'd miss you if you weren't with me for a longer period of time." He told her in an emotionless voice.

"What happens when I die then? You'll have to live without me forever." She reminded him, her saddened voice burning through his ears.

"I won't let you die before I do." He assured her.

"Then how will I live then? I don't want to live without you…" She spoke without thinking, "I mean-"

She was stopped by him tightening his grip on her body; he was holding her so tight. It almost felt like if they let go of each other they would be separated forever.

"I don't want to keep on living knowing that you've died, Ulquiorra." She clarified.

"Then we'll die together. At the same time, no sooner and no later_…_" He told her as if it were nothing.

"Do you promise?" She wanted, no she needed reassurance.

"I promise." He gave her the reassurance that she needed.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." She whispered as she tightened her grip on his middle.

She buried her head in his chest as she fell soundly asleep.

"You're welcome, Adelita." He whispered to her silently even though he knew that the girl was already asleep.

* * *

"Apache-san!" Adelita gasped in shock at her close friend.

Adelita had seen Apache walk out of Grimmjow's room. That wasn't the only thing that had surprised her though. It was what she was wearing that shocked her the most. She was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt that was way too big for and it was obviously meant for a male. She also wore too loose black pants that went down to her knees. Her hair was in need of a brush; it was sticking up at odd ends and was extremely messy. Her features had the look you usually had when something really good happened but something else happened that made it not so great.

"Oh, Adelita-san." Apache acknowledged, she looked like she had just gotten up from bed.

"What happened? To you and you're clothes?" Adelita asked curiously before having a sudden realisation, "Wait a second… You just came out of Grimm-chan's room and you're wearing clothes that you definitely don't own so… Oh my god, you're not wearing Grimm-chan's clothes, are you?"

"I told that bastard everyone would notice…" Apache mumbled angrily to herself.

"Oh my god! They are!" Adelita exclaimed excitedly as ran up to the girl, a big smile on her face, "And since you're wearing Grimm-chan's clothes and coming out of his room that means that you spent the whole night there!"

"That son of a bitch said no one would figure it out. I'm going to punch his head through a wall!" Apache hissed.

"But why are you wearing Grimm-chan's clothes?" Adelita asked, she had just figured something else out, "Couldn't you just have changed back to your clothes after you, you know…"

_That bastard doesn't know how to have sex without ripping up something…_ Apache wanted to tell her but decided against it.

"And I thought you had started to call me by my real name." Grimmjow slurred.

Grimmjow had somehow crept up to Apache and stood beside her, one of his arms on her hip pulling her towards him. It was as if Apache was his.

"That was when you were worrying me and I thought you deserved a little pity." Adelita told him rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Grimmjow sighed sending her a look.

"So, what _did_ you two do after I left?" Adelita was curious; she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Oh nothing much, just a little bit of this and little bit of that." Apache responded trying to avoid the question as best she could.

"What're you talking about, bitch!? We fucked for god's sake! How is that nothing!?" Grimmjow shouted at the shorter girl.

"Tell the whole world why don't you?! Not like I want the whole of Las Noches know, you bastard!" Apache half-yelled, after all she didn't want the whole arrancar population know her personal life.

"Oh, Apache… I didn't know you were that kind of girl…" A calm voice came from behind Adelita.

They turned around to see Sun-Sun with one of her long sleeves covering her mouth and Mila-Rose tried to keep her laughing in check.

"I can't believe you-" Mila Rose tried to begin before bursting out laughing.

"Dammit, I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully Mila-Rose!" Apache shouted before charging at the other girl. Mila-Rose ran whilst still laughing as Apache chased and threw death threats at her. Sun-Sun just followed after them quietly and slowly, quite amused by the new discovery.

Adelita giggled at their rather amusing actions. She stopped when she saw a rare serious look on Grimmjow's face.

"Grimm-chan, is anything wrong?" Adelita asked, her voice full of concern.

"Nah. It's nothing." He told her, he forced his usual expression onto his features.

"Alright…" Adelita whispered before walking away, a weird feeling tugging at her non-existent heart.

* * *

Throughout the whole day Adelita felt like something bad was going to happen but she ignored it, she smothered the feeling with forced cheerfulness.

She didn't expect what was going to happen later that night.

* * *

"Oi, Adelita open up!" A gruff voice called out to her through her bedroom door.

"Grimm-chan…?" Adelita answered in a sleepy voice, she had just been woken up by the knock.

"Yeah, it's me." He answered back to her.

She groggily made her way to the door and opened it. She rubbed her eyes because of the brightness of the hallway outside.

"Can't we do whatever we're doing tomorrow? I just started to get some sleep…" Adelita asked sleepily before opening her eyes slowly.

When she first opened her eyes she was looking at the ground, her eyes widened when she saw the pool of blood gathering at his feet. She looked up to look at him at eye level and gasped.

"Grimmjow! What happened!? Oh my god!" Adelita gasped, her hands in front of her mouth. She was too shocked to do anything or say anything more. There was _so_ much blood and he was _so _hurt, "Get inside, oh my god you're bleeding so much! How did this happen!?"

Adelita ushered him in. She couldn't find the right words to say, the right things to do. She just wanted to faint or throw up or cry or wake up to find out that it was just a horrible nightmare. To have Ulquiorra waking her up, telling her that it was just a nightmare and that everything was fine. To her it didn't matter, she just wanted anything that would take her away from the horrific reality in front of her, she just wanted to escape from it. That wasn't an option now though, this was reality and she knew it.

* * *

How was this chappy? I know it's a cliffy and you all probably want to murder me because of it but still! I couldn't help myself! So people out there I hope you enjoyed it. Just to clarify, no Grimmjow is not dying, if you read this chapter through you'll know what the hell is happening.

You do not know how many times in this chapter I wanted Ulquiorra just to kiss her right there and then! But I'm sorry, that won't be happening. I've thought of the perfect place for them to kiss and it's not now… Sorry to disappoint all those that thought he would kiss her.

Massive, massive GrimmjowxApache thing in there. Stark and Halibel moment too! GinRan moment if you squint really super duper hard! UlquiorraxOC all round!

Please R&R! I'll love you lots if you leave me a little review! Constructive criticism on the characters the plot on whatever is welcome! If it's flaming then I'll tell your mommy and daddy that you were a bad little person!

Neat Chapter: Needing Answers (may change)


	4. Needing Answers

Ai Angel: Hi again! I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner… I was on holiday and that was when I was trying to update but then I was on camp for a week so I couldn't really update (sweat drop). Anyway, enjoy this chappy okay?

* * *

Chapter 4: Needing Answers

Adelita fingers produced a white light as she prepared to heal her injured friend. She took one look at his bleeding left shoulder and wanted to pass out right there and then. She glided her fingers over the intensely bleeding socket. After a while the bleeding began to die down.

"I wish I could more but I can only do so little… I can stop the bleeding for a while but you still need bandages because it can open up again. Wash regularly it or it'll get infected and-" She began, her voice starting to break. He placed his right hand on top her head, stopping her from speaking.

"What's wrong with you? You've never acted like this before." He asked her, a look that resembled concern to an extent on his face.

"How can you be so calm…? You've lost an arm for God's sake!" She yelled at him, tears welling up her violet eyes, "You just got kicked out of the Espada! How are you going to break this to Apache-san!?"

"You're always doing that. Thinking about other people." He told her, a smirk on his face.

"You're always being reckless! For God's sake why don't you ever think things through before you do it!? Now because you did something so stupid you've… you've… I can't even say it now!" Adelita scolded, she could hardly see through her swimming vision.

Taking his hand off of her head he placed it on her back and pulled her into him. Her face buried in his chest, the tears began to fall from her eyes.

"I hate you so much! You're always getting hurt and I can't for anything to help you! I'm so useless…" She cried into his shirt, hitting him pitifully in his chest.

"You know either that bastard Ulquiorra is telling you that you're useless or you seriously need a self esteem boost." Grimmjow sighed.

"I'm being serious here!" She yelled at him, looking up as the tears still freely flowing down her cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not big deal. The guy that replaced is as weak as hell. He always acts as if someone shoved his man-thong too far up his ass." Grimmjow boasted confidently.

Adelita sent him a small amused smile, letting out a stifled giggled. Her tears stopped flowing as she gave him a look.

"You are so damn reckless… Can't you take better care of yourself?" She asked, her eyes lingering at his now non-existent left arm.

"For God's sake if that blind justice obsessed son of a bitch didn't chop of my arm then _disintegrate_ it then I would still have an arm!" Grimmjow reminded in an annoyed tone.

"I know, I know." She said as she put space between them, she sighed, "I'll wrap your arm."

She walked off to one of her cabinets and opened it to grab a roll of bandages. She walked over to him and carefully wound the bandages around his now gone arm. She sighed as she tied a knot to make the bandages stay.

"Don't forget to clean that wound regularly, it'll get infected if you don't. Also change the bandages ordinarily…" She reminded, "I am _so _not going to get any sleep tonight…" She mumbled.

"Thanks Adelita." He thanked before walking towards the door.

"Goodnight, Grimmjow." She said, a small smile donning her features.

"Night Adelita." He said as he walked out of his room.

* * *

Adelita sat up sleepily in her bed. She was exhausted; after seeing Grimmjow, she didn't get any sleep. She rubbed her eyes in a futile attempt to feel less tired.

Getting up from the bed she yawned and walked sluggishly to her bathroom. She somehow got into her usual clothes and slid her sword on her hip. As she walked out she closed her eyes at the brightness of the hallway. She continued to walk, albeit her eyes were closed. Then she felt herself bump into something.

Opening her eyes a small fraction she saw that she had bumped into someone. She knew the person she bumped into; the two mesmerising emerald green eyes that bore into her were almost _too _recognizable.

"I'm so sorry Ulquiorra. I'm a little… sleepy." Adelita apologized, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to try and adjust her eyes to the brightness.

"How much sleep did you get last night and why?" He asked her in a bored voice, he lowered his head to meet her at eye-level.

"Umm, uh… the usual amount?" She lied unsurely, her eyes trying to avoid his as she nervously scratched the back of her head.

"Why do you continue to try and lie when you know I can tell you can't?" Ulquiorra asked her rhetorically with a sigh.

"I don't know… I just try so that you won't worry…" Adelita told him, her eyes finding an interesting spot on the floor.

Ulquiorra sighed once more showing his annoyance, "Just answer the question you stupid woman. You know I dislike repeating myself."

"Well, to be honest I didn't really get that much sleep last night…" She told him, slight guilt in her voice.

"I collected that… I want to know _why_." He reminded in his usual impassive voice.

"Uh… It's nothing really." She tried to lie once more.

"You know I dislike repeating myself." He warned her, his face even closer now.

"I, uh… umm… well… it's sort of like… uh…" Adelita tried to explain.

"Is it about Grimmjow?" He asked her, his eyes boring into her own.

"You know about Grimm-chan?" She asked, her worried violet eyes finally meeting his.

"He only has one arm, it's not hard to infer that he has gone against Aizen-sama's wishes and been punished." He told her, the normal passive expression on his face.

"Oh, I see… I guess it just worried me…" She replied.

It was then that she realised how close his face was to her's. She wanted to turn away and apologize but her body wouldn't move according to her will.

"Why do you always worry about other people and not about yourself?" Ulquiorra asked rhetorically, his emerald eyes staring right into her violet ones.

"That's kind of ironic… Grimm-chan said the same thing." She said softly, a small smile adorning her face.

"My mind works nothing like how that idiot's does." He whispered.

He took her chin in his hand and slowly moved her face closer and closer to his. Adelita eyes shifted to the side as her eyes fluttered close, her cheeks painted with a blush. Their lips just about to brush against each other.

"My, my. What are two _Espada _like yourselves doing in the hallways? Maybe I should report this to Aizen-sama. He would surely punish you for it." A rather effeminate voice came from behind.

Adelita gasped as she heard the voice and the two of them separated, leaving more than enough space between them. They turned to face where the voice had come from.

"Who're you?" Adelita asked, her voice not as polite and it usually was.

"He's the new sexta Espada, Luppi." Ulquiorra informed her.

"He's… the one… that replaced Grimm-chan?" Adelita said slowly, her brain not really process the new information.

"Yes, I believe I am a much better replacement for that hot-headed cat. Don't you think so Adelita-_chan_?" Luppi teased, a taunting laugh following.

Adelita clenched and unclenched her fist, getting ready to attack the new sexta Espada before mumbling, "Grimmjow was much better you are and ever will be. Even if he only has one arm."

She started to walk away, her emotions getting the better of her. As usual.

"Don't you remember? I could report to Aizen-sama what I just saw to Aizen-sama. You know that romance within the Espada is a severe crime right? I wonder if he'll strip you off of your ranks too." Luppi said in an annoyingly mocking voice.

"What do you want from us?" She asked coldly as she turned to face him.

"Not so much what I want from the cuarto Espada. More what I want from-" He taunted before using sonido and appearing right in front of her, "-you, Adelita-chan."

Adelita's face didn't change expression, not even showing the slightest bit of shock.

"What would you want from me?" Her voice as cold as ice.

"What most of the other arrancar want… answers. Nobody knows how you even got into the Espada. No one had to die or in my case have an Espada stripped of their rank. There are currently more than ten Espada, you're the mystery one. No one even knows your number." Luppi whispered mockingly in her ear, "I want to know _what_ you are exactly."

"If I recall correctly, I am like you. Simply a hollow with their mask ripped off. I am nothing out of the ordinary." She replied indifferently, her eyes unchanging.

"Then why are you an Espada? Aren't there only supposed to be ten? Why are _you _in the Espada?" He asked her a rather casual look on his face.

"That is enough, Luppi." The cold cuarto Espada said impassively, "What occurred earlier today never happened. If you would not forget, both myself and Adelita are of higher rank than you. Aizen-sama would most likely believe us over someone like you."

Ulquiorra walked off past Luppi and grabbed Adelita by the wrist. With a firm grip around her wrist he led her along the long corridors.

_That girl really is something different to us… I wonder what makes her so special though… _Luppi wondered as he watched the two Espada walk away, _This is going to be _very_ interesting…

* * *

_

1 month later…

Footsteps resounded throughout the empty hallway before all the Espada in the room heard a familiar voice come from behind the tall door.

"It's Ulquiorra, I'm coming in." The stoic voice said.

The door creaked open as Adelita looked from her place in the room at the two recognisable figures in the doorway.

"Ah, you made it, Ulquiorra, Yammy." Aizen acknowledged from his place in the centre of the room.

Aizen's head was slightly turned to face them, a wrapped up hollow in front of him.

"We were just finishing up." Aizen informed them.

Adelita watched with boredom as Aizen droned on and on about how clueless Soul Society was to the Hougyoku power. Aizen brought his hand near the black sphere and a bright light shone. The glass cube around the bandaged body shattered almost instantly and the unravelled themselves.

"Would you tell us your name, new comrade?" Aizen asked the new arrancar.

Adelita looked sceptically at the arrancar that sat ungracefully in the centre of the room. He had a rather dumb-looking expression on his face that made him look somewhat child-like.

"Wonderweiss… Wonderweiss… Margera…" He said slowly, as if he was a child only just learning how to speak.

Adelita rolled her eyes involuntarily. She could sense that his reiatsu capacity was that of an Espada but from the looks of things his mental capacity wasn't up to speed.

"Do remember the directive I spoke to you about last month, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked him, not even turning around.

"Yes, sir." Ulquiorra confirmed, his mouth set into a tight line.

"Put it into motion." Aizen told him, turning his head to face Ulquiorra somewhat, "I shall leave the details to your discretion, you may take whoever you like."

"Understood." Ulquiorra said melancholically.

Aizen tilted his head slightly to one of the many square shaped poles, "Ah, yes. Would you like to go too, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow held a somewhat angry look as his eyes shifted to the side.

"Ulquiorra…?" Adelita asked as she walked with the said Espada down one of the long halls.

"Yes?" He asked in his normal impassive voice.

"What _is _the 'directive' Aizen-sama gave you? Like I know that I'm supposed to go to the human world but you aren't…" Adelita asked unsurely, a curious look on her face.

"I am to bring back a human woman. Her abilities will benefit Aizen-sama and his goals." Ulquiorra informed.

"Oh okay…" Adelita said slowly before asking, "Is she that girl that you saw when you were in the human world? The one that could heal?"

"Yes." He told her.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw her expression fall. He watched as a saddened expression replaced her usual cheerful one and heard an upset sigh fall from her lips. Her eyes downcast and stared at the tiles on the floor.

She really didn't expect what would happen next. Adelita found herself pinned to the wall standing beside her. Her wrists were pinned on either side of her head, her back pressed against the white wall.

"U-Ulquiorra…?" Adelita managed to stutter out, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

"You are disheartened, Adelita." Ulquiorra said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's… not really like that… Umm… I'm not sad that you're getting a girl that can help Aizen-sama… It's just that I guess I'm a little jealous…" Adelita shrugged, a sad smile adorning her face.

"Why would you be jealous of a mere human? It is illogical." Ulquiorra stated, his expression and voice unchanging.

"It's just that her abilities… They're unique. She could probably heal Grimm-chan's arm, I can barely stop the bleeding… I'm just so useless." Adelita answered, her eyes drifting to the side.

"That woman merely has support abilities, her offensive ones are lacking immensely. On the battlefield the ones with higher offensive ability will be the victors." Ulquiorra told her, his voice deadpanned.

"I guess so… I just… I wish I could help you guys more… I hate not being able to do more for you two." Adelita confessed embarrassedly.

"You stupid woman." Ulquiorra whispered.

Ulquiorra inched his face towards her's. Adelita shut her eyes slowly as she waited for his lips to come into contact with her's. Their lips were only just about to touch each other.

"My, my. Adelita-chan, Ulquiorra what are ya two doin'?" A rather sly voice chimed in.

Ulquiorra stepped back, leaving plenty of space between them. Adelita's face was painted with a light pink as Ulquiorra averted his eyes from each other. Adelita looked to where the voice had come from only to see silver hair and a fake smile.

"I hate ta be a party pooper but ya wouldn't want Capt'n Aizen punishin' ya." Gin warned in a playful tone, the grin still plastered on his face, "Now run along ya two. If ya gonna do that kinda thing then at least do it private where ya won get caught."

With that said Gin was gone with a blur. Before Ulquiorra could say anything Adelita had disappeared, hardly leaving a coloured blur.

* * *

Adelita leaned her back against the door to her room, her hand placed on the left side of her chest. She could feel the rapid beating coming from her chest. It almost felt as if there was a heart hidden in her chest. She slid down the door her back still leaning on the door. Using her other hand she touched her cheek, she was still able to feel the warmth coming from the skin.

_This isn't right… Hollows aren't supposed to have hearts… They don't… So why is it that I can feel like this? How is it that I can feel like this? Why? I'm not supposed to feel like this… Then why do I have to experience such feelings? I just want answers… I'm so confused… Ulquiorra, why am I feeling this? _ Adelita thought, her thoughts in complete be wilderness. Adelita wanted answers, she wanted them so desperately but she knew that no one in Hueco Mundo would have them.

* * *

"Hey, Apache-san I never got to ask." Adelita asked the other girl who was walking beside her.

"Yeah what is it?" Apache asked, a scowl on her face.

"Were you angry when Grimm-chan lost his arm? I mean you guys are sort of together…" Adelita asked sheepishly, almost immediately regretting it as soon as she asked, "You don't have to answer! I mean, it's okay if you don't… I'm just a little curious."

"It was that bastard's own fault that he lost it… I wasn't angry that he got punished… I was just pissed that he couldn't fuck as well as he used to! We only got to fuck once before he lost that damn arm of his but after that it just wasn't the same after that!" Apache answered in an exasperated voice, the whole subject made Adelita want to sweat drop.

"Oh please I hardly need one arm to make you have a good fuck." An angry voice growled.

They both turned on their heels, neither shocked at Grimmjow's sudden appearance.

"Yeah right." Apache scoffed, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Even when you had two arms you hardly gave a 'good fuck'. With one arm it's just too damn boring."

"Whatever. Adelita, we need to go. The mission is starting soon." Grimmjow told her as he walked off.

Before Adelita could follow Apache had grabbed onto her hand. Adelita turned her head to face her properly, her eyes showing confusion.

"Adelita-san, I _need _you to do something for me." Apache begged, pure desperation in her eyes.

"What do you want me to do Apache-san?" Adelita asked, "I can't guarantee that I can help you though…"

"Grimmjow… His arm… Please find a way to give it back to him." Apache pleaded, "I want him back to the way he used to be."

"I don't know how but I'll try." Adelita tried to reason.

"Listen, Adelita-san. Ever since Grimmjow lost his arm he's been… different. I hate it. You saw just then, before he would usually argue until he won. Now he doesn't even try." Apache said, concern surfacing in her voice.

"Okay. I promise I'll get Grimm-chan back to what he used to be like." Adelita promised, a smile decorating her features.

"Thank you, Adelita-san."

* * *

Adelita looked at the colourful world beneath her; it was as different from Hueco Mundo as night and day. Literally. She vaguely remembered coming to this world when she still had her mask. Her lips set into a firm line as she remembered what she was here for.

"Oh? We came to a pretty good place." Yammy bellowed, "Those guys have some pretty high reiatsu. This should be a good place to start off."

"What're you talking about? Those are Shinigami. Aren't they the 'reinforcements from Soul Society' that Mr. 6 was talking about?" Luppi said, he then turned his head to face Grimmjow before cheekily saying, "Hm? Oh, sorry. It's former Mr. 6 isn't it?"

"The bastard I want to kill isn't in that group." Grimmjow said, a scowl embedded in his features.

"Grimmjow! Where are you-" Adelita shouted after him before stopping abruptly in mid-sentence. She then whispered softly, "Where are you going?" Her vibrant eyes holding a look of hurt.

"Just ignore him, Adelita-chan. After all, he's a fallen Espada. It's not like he can do anything." Luppi reminded.

Adelita let her eyes trail to the scar on Grimmjow's back, her eyes looking at where the number 6 used to be.

"The guy I want to kill isn't in that group either…" Yammy sighed in annoyance.

"Would the guy you want to kill be the one who cut off your arm? Or the one that beat you up? Or is it the one that deflected your cero?" Luppi asked.

Yammy grinned widely, his eyes dancing with arrogance, "All of 'em."

Adelita withheld the strong urge to roll her eyes. Why was she the only one that wasn't excited about killing something?

"Hey! Let's go new guy! How long are you gonna hang around in a daze?!" Yammy yelled, his voice loud and brutish.

Wonderweiss merely just stared at nothing. His mouth shaped in an 'o', he just replied with some noise that sounded like a noise a baby would make.

"Wonder-chan doesn't seem to understand you, Yammy-san." Adelita said, her voice back with its usual cheerfulness.

Hardly a second later, an attack came towards her. Adelita didn't flinch as a young white haired Shinigami came charging at her. Just as he was to get a hit on her a transparent hinted with blue butterfly shaped shield appeared in front of her. The attack was successfully blocked, the Shinigami's face holding no emotion as his sword made contact with the shield.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, Squad 10 Captain." He introduced, his face as cold as ice.

"Adelita Freed. An Espada in Aizen-sama's army. Nice to meet your acquaintance." Adelita told him, a small smile on her face, "Not to be rude or anything but I imagined that captains in Soul Society would be a little less cute."

"You're an Espada…?" Toshiro's face held mild shock as he said this.

Adelita smirked slightly at the opening. Toshiro suddenly felt a strong force push him back at least twenty metres.

"I wasn't kidding, I am an Espada and you are cute, Toshi-chan but… You shouldn't let your enemy see an opening, it would be fatal if you did." Adelita told him, the shield faded away as her smirk did.

Toshiro's features showed annoyance as she spoke. He came charging at her again only to clash swords with Yammy.

"This is a coincidence! I'm a 10 too! Arrancar Diez, Yammy." Yammy introduced, his voice full of amusement.

"Diez…! You're an Espada as well?" Toshiro asked, a brief moment of shock shown in his face.

"You know a lot, don't you?" Yammy asked rhetorically.

Adelita's gaze shifted to where Wonderweiss was, he seemed to be very interested in looking at the sky or whatever he was staring at. Adelita sweat dropped at what he was doing. Adelita walked over to where he was to see a woman with sunset coloured hair pointing her sword at him. She had a rather comical look as if contemplating whether or not it was okay to attack Wonderweiss or not.

"Umm… Shinigami-san, if you don't want to fight Wonder-chan over here you can fight me if you want?" Adelita offered, she really didn't want to fight but Wonderweiss didn't look like he could fight a fly and win, "My name is Adelita Freed. I'm an Espada."

"Matsumoto Rangiku, Squad 10 Vice-Captain." She introduced, her features immediately hardening.

"Ran… gi… ku…?" Adelita said slowly, the syllables rolling off her tongue.

"What is wrong about my name?" Rangiku asked seriously.

"It's nothing… It's just that I never thought I would ever get the chance to meet the only Shinigami Gin-senpai cares about." Adelita told her, she watched as Rangiku's eyes widened.

"Gin, he-" Rangiku never got to finish her sentence.

"Yammy! Pass that boy over here!" Luppi shouted at the large arrancar before turning to Adelita, "And pass that lady over here too, Adelita-chan."

"As if I'll ever listen to what you say." Adelita said, all the while she rolled her eyes.

"Now we wouldn't want Mr. Four to worry about what happens to his little butterfly would we?" Luppi asked tauntingly.

"I can take care of myself perfectly fine." Adelita snapped back.

"Well, well, it looks like Miss Butterfly has a temper." Luppi mocked, "I was only looking out for you, Adelita-chan."

"As if." Adelita retorted, sarcasm laced in her voice.

"It's just that, since these guys are so annoying. Let's do this 4 on 1." Luppi answered, "'Cause I'm gonna release and take you guys on as a group."

Luppi began to unsheathe his sword, ready to release his Resurección.

"Like I'm gonna let you!!!" Toshiro yelled as he charged towards Luppi, ready to kill him before he could do anything, "Bankai, Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

Toshiro's Bankai activated as Luppi was more than ready.

"Strangle, Trepadora." Luppi said as a cloud of smoke appeared around him.

Adelita rolled her eyes and sighed with discontent.

"He's way too arrogant for his own good. He's going to die because of it." Adelita said monotonously.

"Since when have you been so cold?" Yammy asked her, he was sitting cross-legged in the air. Boredom was clearly present on his face.

"Once upon a time I was." Adelita told Yammy her voice changing to her usual one, "Not anymore."

"Che, Adelita you are way to weird." Yammy told her.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Yammy-san." Adelita smiled at him as she spoke, "You can help him if you want."

"The hell would I help that asshole? He's taken all of them for himself…" Yammy yawned.

"Well why don't you go and find those guys that beat you up the other day?" Adelita asked the larger arrancar.

"Going to go look for someone else is a pain." Yammy answered, a yawn following, "Yo! Hey! New guy! Over here! What the hell are you doing!?"

Yammy looked at Wonderweiss who was trying to catch some dragonfly. He eventually caught the insect and attempted to eat it. Adelita could only sweat drop.

"Wonder-chan, you shouldn't eat that…" Wonderweiss turned to Adelita, the dragonfly only a few inches from his mouth.

Wonderweiss looked away from Adelita and let go of the dragonfly. He looked dead ahead, around the area of where Luppi was.

Before she knew it Wonderweiss was lunging at a strange blonde haired man wearing a green hat and geta sandals. Before Wonderweiss could actually reach the man he swung his sword and a line of red attacked Wonderweiss.

Wonderweiss slid back a couple metres and got prepared to use a bala. The man was barely able to dodge the attack and soon enough was hit by another one, this time from Yammy.

Adelita watched with minimal amusement as Yammy continued to attack the man. Urahara Kisuke, she vaguely remembered hearing him introduce himself.

After watching Yammy trying to win a losing battle for a while she decided to step in. Using sonido she got to a spot just beside Yammy. She held her arm out in front of him as a motion to tell him to stop.

"Stop. Your trying to fight a battle you're going to lose." Adelita told him firmly, she shifted her eyes to eye him, "Unless you want to release your Resurección, I suggest you step aside."

"No way am I going to let you steal my opponent." Yammy yelled at her.

"Yammy-san, I will use force if I have to so if I were you I'd just stand down." Adelita ordered.

"I told you I'm not-!" Yammy tried to protest.

Before he knew it Yammy was some 50 metres away, the wind completely knocked out of him. Adelita had elbowed him _hard_ in the stomach.

"My, my! You Espada sure are ruthless." Kisuke commented, his voice as goofy as ever.

"I don't usually like using methods like that but… I just don't want him to get himself killed." Adelita told him, a minute smile on her face, "He wasn't really listening to reason so I guess violence was the only way."

"You're a little different from the rest…" He told her, his voice slightly less comical.

Adelita let out a small chuckle, "Everyone says that… I wonder why." Adelita voice soon turned serious, "I'm sorry Kisuke-oji-san but I'm going to have to kill you now."

"Apologising to the enemy before you try to kill them? You certainly are different." Kisuke told her.

"I never like to kill aimlessly. It's pointless. I just want to apologise before I end your life." Adelita told him seriously as she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at him.

Before either could attack a yellow light surrounded Adelita. The same yellow light surrounded Luppi, Yammy and Wonderweiss.

"I guess Ulquiorra completed the mission." Adelita said, her eyes staring at the sky.

* * *

"What the hell happened to you, you bastard!?" Apache shouted at the man, he was bandaged up and his wounds were healed to an extent.

"I was fighting." He told the shorter girl simply.

"I can tell! How the hell did you get beat up so bad!?" Apache yelled in his face.

"Apache-san… It's not his fault. I should have been able to do more for him, but I couldn't." Adelita interrupted, her eyes conveying nothing but regret.

Adelita turned on her heel and disappeared with a blur.

* * *

She leaned against her door, head resting against it.

_Why am I so weak? Why can't I ever do more for them? Why?_ Adelita thought gloomily, a crestfallen expression on her face.

Suddenly she felt her door slide open and she fell into a familiar chest. Two familiar pale hands found themselves placed on her shoulders in order to balance her.

"Adelita." An emotionless voice came.

"U-Ulquiorra." Adelita stuttered.

Adelita then slowly and unsurely lifted up her hands to lightly rest upon his that were on her shoulders.

"Adelita, what happened?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Can you just hold me for a little bit?" Adelita asked hesitantly, she regretted asking.

"You stupid woman." He told her.

Adelita sighed with relief as a satisfied smile made its way onto her lips. She closed her eyes halfway as she leaned back, now completely leaning on Ulquiorra.

"You still haven't answered my question." Ulquiorra reminded in mild annoyance.

"I'm just confused. I want answers but I don't think anybody here would have them." Adelita answered before she added, "Not even you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra chose not to say anything. Comforting people wasn't his forte. He might have actually ended up hurting her instead of helping her. So chose just to stay silent and hold her, it was what she needed.

After a short while Adelita's half-lidded eyes completely opened. She stopped leaning on him and moved her hands to their original position beside her. Ulquiorra let go of her shoulder and stepped back, giving them a larger amount of space between them.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." Adelita thanked as she turned to face him properly.

"I have brought the woman that Aizen-sama wanted. You are to come to the meeting hall." Ulquiorra instructed as he walked off in the direction of the said meeting hall.

Adelita immediately followed, she ran up to catch up to him.

_The woman he brought… She's a human. Maybe, just maybe… She could give me the answers I need._ Adelita thought, her eyes held more confidence then they had previously. Adelita might finally get her answers.

* * *

Yay!!! I finished… I'm sorry it took _so_ long! Anyway, please review because reviews make me happy and when I'm happy I update more! Okie dokie?

Anyway, I want to tell this to you guys before I go on. The title of my story is NOT I repeat NOT something to do with race! It's merely titled like that because of the tones. As in pitch black and powder white! Compare the colours and you can tell that the tones are totally different. I'm not talking about the skin tone I'm talking about the actual colours. Like colour pencils or paints or something like that! I don't want anybody misunderstanding the title.

Okie dokie! There's nothing else to really say so… Enjoy!

Next Chapter: Almost

Expect some IshiHime love next chapter! Along with a bit of GinRan, a healthy dose of GrimmjowxApache and lots of UlquiorraxOC!


	5. Almost

I'm sorry for the extra extremely too long wait for the update! Oh my gosh I just rhymed! Isn't that wonderful? Anyway please enjoy the chappy that took forever! Oh and by the way I want to dedicate this chappy to all my wonderful reviewers who are amazing!

* * *

Chapter 5: Almost

Apache slapped Grimmjow as hard as she could. The sight of him with two arms was definitely shocking, she almost felt like crying out. The prominent red mark was present on his skin as his head was definitely flung to face the side. She hand went in for another slap but his hand caught her wrist before it could make contact. She tried to use her other hand to leave another red mark on his cheek. Using his other hand he grabbed her other wrist, stopping it in its tracks.

"You dickhead!" Apache spat out.

He merely smirked as he let go of her wrists and pulled her into him, his arms firmly around her.

"Sorry I worried you." Grimmjow told her arrogantly.

"I wasn't worried, you ass!" Apache yelled at him.

"Of course not, bitch." Grimmjow said sarcastically.

"I'm telling you I wasn't-" Apache began.

Before Apache could finish her sentence she found his mouth on her's. This kiss however was different from his previous ones. It didn't have the roughness that their usual kisses had; it actually had a certain gentleness to it. It was as if he was suggesting something. Slowly but surely she reciprocated the kiss with the same softness he had started the kiss with.

Adelita looked with a slightly embarrassed yet all-knowing look on her face as she watched the two lovers. Letting out a small sigh she turned on her heel and walked leisurely to the room holding the human girl. The order that was given to her was still fresh in her mind.

* * *

"_Adelita, you are to take care of Inoue Orihime." Aizen ordered._

"_Yes, Aizen-sama." Adelita agreed impassively, she'd actually gotten used to obeying Aizen's every order. Even though she still detested it._

"_Ulquiorra will also assist you in this directive." He told her._

"_Why?" Adelita couldn't help but protest, "I can take care of a human girl just fine by myself. You don't need to trouble Ulquiorra."_

"_Now, now Adelita calm down. You are to take care of her because of your ability to understand other's quite quickly. You are the most likely for her trust. If she trusts at least one person in this place her loyalties will falter minimally." Aizen explained, "Ulquiorra is merely there to keep her in check, to make sure if anything goes wrong then she will be… dealt with."_

"_Yes, Aizen-sama." Adelita agreed once more.

* * *

_

As Adelita walked towards the room she secretly hoped that the human girl wouldn't step out of line. If she did then Adelita didn't even want to think about what would happen to her.

Adelita merely stared silently at the door. She was unsure if she should knock or not. She would usually knock but this girl was sort of a prisoner. She slowly lifted her hand up to the door and knocked with 3 prominent knocks.

"Can I come in?" She asked courteously.

Adelita heard a choked sob from behind the thick door.

"I-I c-can't d-decide that-t…" The girl replied shakily.

Adelita hesitantly opened the door to see the girl kneeling on the ground. Dry tear marks ran down her porcelain cheeks from her gray eyes. Her beautiful long sunset coloured hair was somewhat dishevelled and her uniform was somewhat out of place.

"Hi, I'm Adelita Freed…" Adelita introduced awkwardly, "Umm, you're Inoue Orihime right?"

"Y-yes." She choked out.

"Well, I'm sort of going to be taking care of you from now on so I think we should at least try to get along…" Adelita began.

"Y-yes, F-Freed-san." Orihime said in a tremulous voice.

"If it's okay, can you call me 'Adelita'?" Adelita asked politely, a small yet sweet smile upon her face.

"B-but-" Orihime tried to begin.

"The way you talk to me is like I'm some sort of scary sergeant in the army that's going to rip out your organs if you act friendly with me." Adelita said to Orihime, her eyes rolling, "Look, I don't want us to have to have this whole superior-inferior relationship. I want us to be friends, but I understand if you probably don't want to be friends with a Hollow…"

"N-no! I-it's okay… I'm just a little-" Orihime began before stopping herself, "I mean I'm not used to this place."

"That really can't be all of it." Adelita said, an all-knowing look in her eyes. When Orihime sent a questionable look her way she just shook her head, "No one cries over not being used to something."

Finally understanding Orihime brought her hands up to her cheeks in an effort to wipe away her tears.

"I wasn't crying…" Orihime tried to lie as she futilely tried to get rid of every trace of the fact she was crying, "I just got something in my eye."

Before Orihime knew anything Adelita had bent down to her level and wrapped her arms securely around her.

"I'm not telling you it's wrong to cry. In a situation like this it's okay to be sad, it's okay to cry." Adelita whispered caringly into Orihime's ear.

"Thank you, Adelita-san." Orihime said to the arrancar.

Orihime then returned the embrace, her eyes already beginning to water again.

"Is there anything you want to talk to me about?" Adelita asked her.

"I just… I was just thinking. I miss my friends." Orihime confessed.

"Did any of them make something inside of your chest flutter whenever you were around them? Like you and them were all that mattered?" Adelita suddenly blurted out. Realising what she said she quickly apologised, "I'm sorry. I just-"

"Yes. He always makes me feel so nervous when I was around him." Orihime confided, her cheeks dusted with colour as she remembered Ichigo.

"Orihime-san, I don't mean like that." Adelita explained further. When she saw Orihime's confused face she continued to explain, "I mean when you get a special feeling that runs from your nose to your toes. Instead of making you nervous that feeling makes you feel special and warm."

Orihime went through her memories, looking for someone that made her feel that way. All the times she spent with Tatsuki, Rukia, Sado, everyone. When her mind flashed with her memories of Uryuu she remembered how he made her feel. The way her heart stopped when he held her close, the way he always made her feel warm and fuzzy. It was completely different from the feeling she felt around Ichigo, the one's she felt around Uryuu made her feel so _special_.

"I do." Orihime whispered, her cheeks only darkening.

"Who is it?" Adelita asked curiously before quickly adding, "You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious."

"Ishida-kun…" Orihime whispered so quietly, Adelita couldn't even hear it before she added louder, "But it's not like I love him. He's just a really good friend."

Adelita slowly let go of the more endowed girl and looked at her straight in the eye.

"I can't really say I understand but I have to tell you this. I have someone also very special to me; he always makes me feel like that. He's the most important person to me and I'm ready to do anything for him. He always makes something inside of my chest beat so fast that I think it's going to come out of my chest. If he makes me feel like that I don't think we're just good friends." Adelita told the girl, a smile dancing on her lips.

"Adelita-san, do you love him?" Orihime asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Orihime-san, Hollows can't feel love. We don't have hearts, it's impossible." Adelita informed, her voice hinting with coldness.

"But how do you know that you don't have a heart? How do you know you can't love?" Orihime continued to question.

"I'm a Hollow, Orihime-san. It's that simple. Hollows and Shinigami are two completely different beings. Whilst Shinigami have hearts and can feel the feeling of love Hollows cannot." Adelita told her, her eyes contradicting her voice. Whilst her voice was impassive her eyes held such confusion.

"Anyone can experience love Adelita-san. If that man makes you feel that way then it's possible you're in love." Orihime told the girl sitting in front of her.

"Wouldn't that mean you're also in love with that other man?" Adelita said changing the subject.

"I'm not sure that I love him but I-" Orihime began.

Before anything else could be said a large tremor was felt through the whole of Las Noches. Strong reiatsu had entered Hueco Mundo and had caused the area surrounding them had caused a strong tremor.

Minutes after minutes passed by silently after the tremor. Both were unsure of what to say or what to do, especially Orihime.

Adelita stood up as she felt the presence of Ulquiorra approaching the room. They both watched as the door opened, the silhouette of Ulquiorra standing in the frame.

"Adelita," He spoke, his hand motioned for her to come towards him, "There is a meeting."

"Okay…" Adelita said quietly.

Adelita walked towards him, throwing a final glance back at Orihime before Ulquiorra closed the door behind her.

Then without any reason Adelita found Ulquiorra's pale hands on her cheeks. One of them slowly began to make its way down. From her cheek it went to her neck, trailing down the column of her neck almost torturously slow. It was more torture for Ulquiorra as he watched the vessels just visible through her more coloured skin pump the crimson liquid. His hand then found its way trailing from her neck to the top of her shoulder where it grasped it firmly.

Before Adelita knew what was happening she found her back pressed against the wall. Ulquiorra didn't even know what he was doing, impulse and instinct completely overwhelming his logic and common sense. The hand on her shoulder tightened its grip as if to keep her in place. Adelita knew otherwise. The hand was shaking, the more logical and _sane _side of him was trying to keep control.

The turmoil taking place inside of him was more serious than ever before. Gently Adelita placed her hand over the one on her shoulder and gave it a soft yet reassuring squeeze.

"It's okay." She soothed, the hand stopped shaking a little, "If it's that bad, you can have it."

Adelita leaned her head against the wall, her neck looking elegantly long. Ulquiorra's head leaned towards her neck, lips ready to make contact with the flesh of her neck. However it didn't even get very close to her neck when Ulquiorra abruptly stopped.

"I won't Adelita. I _can't_." Ulquiorra whispered, his voice strained, "I don't care how strong they are I won't do this to you Adelita."

Adelita bit her lip. Her eyes almost begging him to. She could see the struggle inside of him. Why couldn't he just see that if he did it just this once it wouldn't come back for a long time? As her teeth broke the skin on her lip she felt the strong metallic taste fill her mouth. She almost wanted to gag at the taste.

Adelita lifted her own hand to gently touch his cheek and the other to softly grasp the material of the sleeve on his upper arm. Going on her tippy toes she leaned her head forward, ready to do her job.

Ulquiorra was less than happy when he felt her lips upon his. Her eyes were closed, her face looking more than just serene. He almost wanted to spit out the red liquid as she pushed it into his mouth. The taste soon changed from a terrible one to a more addictive one. It got more and more addictive as the liquid continued to flow down his throat.

This happened every time. He always refused doing something like that to her and then she always kissed him. These kisses however were different from the ones that Apache and Grimmjow or Halibel and Stark shared. They were kisses that she was only doing for his benefit, for his damned impulse. Every time a horrid taste would fill his mouth as she forced the fluid into his mouth. It didn't satisfy his impulse for long though, it would have if he had done it the way he was supposed to though. These kisses meant nothing to them. It held little to no importance in their bond. They had yet to share a kiss like Apache and Grimmjow or Halibel and Stark shared multiple times everyday.

He could feel and hear as she gasped when he sunk his teeth into the skin of her bottom lip. He indulged in the taste as the liquid continued flow almost endlessly from the broken skin. She tightened her grip on the material on his upper arm and squeezed her eyes more tightly closed. It was definitely much stronger than before.

When the fluid stopped flowing he pulled away from her. Almost as soon as he pulled away from the emotionless kiss he embraced her middle. She was literally hoisted off her feet. He had bent down slightly to hold her and then when he straightened up she was lifted up off her feet. He held her close, his face fitting in perfectly into the column of her neck. Adelita's cheeks went from their usual colour to a significantly redder colour, her violet eyes reflecting her emotions perfectly.

He savoured her warmth as she responded to the action of affection by wrapping her own arms around his neck.

"Hey, can you two at least cuddle in the privacy of your own rooms? You're gonna get caught one of these days." They heard a sleepy and rather bored voice droned.

An embarrassed look overcame Adelita's features as she saw Stark standing just a few metres away, Halibel at his side. A smirk played on his lips and she could see an all-knowing look dancing in Halibel's eyes.

Adelita soon found her feet placed upon the ground once more. One of his arms had dropped to it's place by his side but the other had stayed protectively around her waist.

"You two know there are dire consequences for intimate relationships within the Espada." Halibel said in her usual monotonous voice, "Do whatever you want in your own rooms and then no one will find out."

"Oh, like how I know you and Stark-onii-chan do?" Adelita asked cheekily, her usual cheerfulness obvious in her voice.

No one could see the skin behind Halibel's mask heat up slightly at the comment and nobody could see the slight redness gathering up at the back of Stark's neck.

"Not like we can deny that there's absolutely _nothing _between us." Stark said lazily, scratching the back of his neck, probably in attempt to hide the redness.

"But I do hope that you are not implying that we sleep together." Halibel added quickly.

Without much else the four began to make their way towards the meeting room. A comfortable silence filling the atmosphere.

* * *

During the meeting Adelita noticed something. Two new arrancar were sitting at the table. Now the original ten were sitting around the table with herself and the two new arrancar.

One was a female, beautiful red locks cascaded down her back, a few braids decorating the otherwise free hair. Her eyes a brilliant shade of aqua and her skin was tinted with olive. A white strapless dress that reached her thighs encased her upper body. It was quite tight around her upper body but at her hips flared out a little. The dress allowed some of her not so endowed chest to be shown. A black line ran vertically down the centre of the dress from top to bottom and another black line wound around her hips. White leggings rimmed with black reached just above her knees. Black stocking covered the lower half of her legs as ankle high arrancar boots were on her feet. Her upper arm length fingerless gloves only left the tips of her fingers un-gloved. Black rimmed the edges of the gloves and horizontal black lines encircled her elbows.

The other was a male, his yellow hair almost like a nest piled upon his head. At the base of his head was a single low thin ponytail that reached just past his shoulder blades. His eyes were the colour of burgundy and his porcelain skin matched his features. An open jacket with a jagged cut that almost reached his knees was all that was worn on his upper body. The jacket was completely black on the inside and was rimmed with thin black lines. His muscled chest was being shown off to the world because of the lack of a shirt. Hakama pants that reached down to his ankles were worn on his legs and a wide black sash was tied sloppily around the pants. Arrancar boots were mostly hidden by the white pants.

Both held different expressions. The female had a rather serious look on her features and her lips were set in a firm line. The male on the other hand had a relaxed look on his face and an attractive smirk danced on his lips.

They all watched as Aizen, Tousen and Gin entered the room. The tea was passed around but nobody even made a motion to hold the cups. A visual came up with three men running through the desert of Hueco Mundo. As Aizen stated who they were Grimmjow's eyes narrowed when an orange haired Shinigami was announced.

The Espada threw around opinions until Grimmjow couldn't take it anymore. Grimmjow stood so fast that Adelita thought the chair would just topple over. He began to make his way away from the room. Adelita put her hand up as if trying to reach for him, hoping her pleading eyes would reach his peripheral vision. Ulquiorra, who was beside her, put his pale hand atop of hers and gently pulled it back down into her lap. She looked down at her hands that were together in her lap with Ulquiorra's on top as if to keep them there.

Suddenly Aizen released some of his reserved reiatsu and Grimmjow fell to his knees. Adelita wanted to jump right out of her chair but Ulquiorra's hand just stayed atop of her's and gave them a soft squeeze.

No one realised the angry eyes trying to glare holes into them.

The meeting ended soon enough. They all began to make their way out of the room. Ulquiorra had removed his hand from her's a while ago and Adelita's almost seemed like they missed his being there.

When Adelita was about to exit the room she heard someone call her name.

"Adelita," Aizen called calmly, "Would you please stay?" Even though his voice sounded polite she knew it was an order.

She looked back at Aizen and saw the two new arrancar by his side. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Ulquiorra hesitating to leave. He obviously still remembered the last time she was left alone with Aizen. Sleeping for three days straight had made him more than just slightly worried. She mouthed 'it's alright' and motioned to the two others in the room. As if he was reluctant he cast a glance at her before exiting the room.

"Yes, Aizen-sama?" Adelita said as she walked back towards him.

"I'd like you to meet these two." Aizen informed all the while motioning to the two new arrancar by his side.

"Rose Nadel." The girl spoke up, a look Adelita could decipher in Rose's eyes.

"Rose, stop being such a snob." The boy arrancar said rolling his eyes, "Hi, my name's Marcelo Casagrande. Would you please grace me with her name?" Narciso smiled a smile that would have made most girls faint. _Most _girls.

"Adelita… Adelita Freed." Adelita said slowly, unsure of what to do.

"Adelita, they are two of your kind. My unique creations of the Espada." Aizen explained, arrogance was present in his voice.

"Y-you mean t-they're also-" Adelita began her voice shaking with disbelief.

"We're also part of the 'other' Espada." Rose interrupted.

"B-but I thought I was the only one left. Didn't all the others die?" Adelita queried, her eyes showing nothing less than confusion.

* * *

Orihime looked as the door to her room opened. Adelita walked in, a bundle of white in her hands. Orihime could feel the smile creeping up to her lips as she saw Adelita's own cheerful smile.

"Hi Adelita-san." Orihime greeted, the smile on her face growing slightly.

"Hey Orihime-san." Adelita greeted back as she breathed out what sounded like a short chuckle.

Orihime's eyes wandered to the tall pile of white. Her eyes holding a questioning look. It must have been obvious because Adelita noticed the look in her eyes.

"These are your new clothes." Adelita began, "I didn't know your size or what you like to wear so, I brought quite a bit…"

Adelita looked back and Orihime watched as the door opened and a lowly arrancar came in. He had what looked to be a wheel barrow filled with shoes, clothes and accessories. Adelita coordinated all the sets she had picked out and laid them out. She sent out the arrancar when it came time for Orihime to choose. They ranged from mini skirts to ankle length pants, from spaghetti straps to past the hands sleeves, from thigh high boots to sandals, from fingerless gloves that barely covered the palms to gloves that reached the shoulder.

After staring in awe at the large array in front of her Orihime chose her outfit.

Adelita in front of Orihime, inspecting the outfit. She had called the arrancar to come back a while ago and collect all the unused clothes so the floor was no longer littered with garments. The outfit looked better than she had expected.

"…How unexpected. You're looking rather good." The impassive came in.

Orihime let out a surprised gasp and saw Adelita eyes light up and smile widen.

"I told you my sense of fashion isn't _that_ horrible." Adelita joked, amusement clear in her voice.

Ulquiorra merely looked at her; though most wouldn't see it his eyes regarded her with more emotion than others. Adelita was almost completely clueless to it and but Orihime saw it. The way his eyes flickered with emotion whenever they laid eyes on her figure.

"I have an announcement. Your allies have broken into Hueco Mundo." Ulquiorra informed her.

Orihime's eyes widened as disbelief followed. She looked at Adelita confused as to why and why Adelita hadn't told her sooner. Adelita caught the look Orihime sent and decided to answer the question hanging in the air.

"I was not instructed to tell you, Orihime-san." Adelita sighed, her eyes avoiding the other girl's, "They have come to rescue you. There is no other reason for them to be here."

Orihime almost wanted to close her ears. She had come all the way to Hueco Mundo to protect her friends and they had still come after her. She couldn't believe it, she _wouldn't_.

"…They came to rescue me…?" Orihime asked unsurely, she still wouldn't believe the words being said to her.

"…Indeed." Ulquiorra answered, his voice holding no emotion, "But for you that should no longer hold any meaning. For in both mind and body you are already our comrade. That's what your wearing those clothes means Inoue Orihime."

Adelita felt almost guilty as she felt Orihime's eyes barely graze over her. Adelita knew she hadn't told Orihime why she had brought in clothes. She hadn't even implied the reason. She merely just said she had brought in clothes. It was an order to bring in the clothes but it was not said whether or not to say why she had to wear them. Adelita had chosen not to, apparently that was a choice of little resistance but of much more guilt afterwards.

"…Yes sir." Orihime finally said, her voice disheartened as she whole head focused on the ground.

"Say it. For just what purpose do your mind and body exist?" Ulquiorra said, his voice imitating that of an order.

"…Yes sir." Orihime said steadily, her voice unshaken, "They exist for Aizen-sama and for his will."

Adelita could almost not watch. Her eyes tried to look away but they stayed glued to their figures. Orihime's words of obedience almost painful to Adelita's ears. She could see the pain in Orihime's eyes as she repeated the words she had been carefully practicing in her head.

* * *

"I'm sorry Orihime-san. I didn't mean to keep it a secret but I didn't know if I could or couldn't tell you." Adelita apologised, her eyes showing sincerity.

Adelita stood behind Orihime who was staring straight at the only window she had. At least a metre separated the two young women, a cold feeling running up and down both of them.

"It's okay Adelita-san. I'm just a little surprised." Orihime said, her voice showing that she was more than 'just a little surprised'.

Adelita took a shaky step forward, her head spinning with thoughts that were gathering deep inside her head. She almost spoke them. Adelita didn't know how to comfort the girl standing in front of her. She wanted to say something, anything. Her mouth seemed to frozen, her words stopped. She was afraid that she would end up doing more harm to the girl than good.

The unsure step she had poured her will power into was so easy for her to take back. She started to take another step back, something in her chest aching.

"Adelita-san, umm, could you do me a favour?" Orihime asked, her eyes finally tearing away for the barred window and to the closest person she had to a friend.

"What is it, Orihime-san?" Adelita asked, her eyes staring into the depths of Orihime's.

"Could you- could you please tell my friends to leave? Tell them that I'm fine and that they don't need to do this for me." Orihime pleaded, her hands shaking at her sides.

"I-" It was then that Adelita almost said yes and she almost said no, her mind couldn't decided, "I don't know Orihime-san. I might not even get to come into contact with them, but I'll try."

"Thank you. If you ever get to telling them could you tell them something else?" Orihime asked, her voice holding something close to hope.

"What would that be?" Adelita asked, she didn't know what to do; all she could do was say she would try, "I'm sorry if I can't do this for you."

"Its okay, Adelita-san. It's enough that you tried, I want you to tell Ishida-kun something." Orihime said, something pink dusting her cheeks as her eyes drifted to the ground.

* * *

As Adelita walked out of the room, she let her lips tug into a smile. Her eyes could only widen when she saw Ulquiorra dismissing Nnoitra uncaringly. Adelita watched as Nnoitra began to retreat, his back getting smaller with each step.

When he turned the corner Adelita felt her feet guide her to where Ulquiorra stood. He turned to face her, face as emotionless as ever. As soon as she was close enough he pulled her into him. One arm held her head in place, pressed against his neck, the other holding the middle of her back.

"Ulquiorra." She whispered softly into his neck. Her arms found themselves wrapping around his middle.

"This _impulse_ I have all the time, why does it always happen around you?" Ulquiorra asked, his head looking ahead.

"Ulquiorra, we both know the answer to that." Adelita said simply, her lips brushing against his neck.

"Then answer this. Why is it that we shared so many kisses but none of them mean a thing to me? Does this mean that no matter how much I kiss you, I will never care?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Maybe, just maybe it could be because they were for an ulterior motive. Maybe if we were to kiss just for the sake of kissing…" Adelita trailed off.

He slowly guided the hand that pressed against her head to her chin. He lifted her chin to face her, one of her arms reaching up to his cheek. They brought their lips closer and closer together.

It was then that their lips finally met that they both felt so _alive_. They could almost feel the sparks flying in the air as their eyes fully closed. Ulquiorra couldn't forget the way her body fit perfectly in his and the way her lips gently moved against his. Adelita couldn't forget the way his arms were so protectively around her figure and the way his lips felt strangely warm against her's.

She could feel something inside of her chest almost beat so fast that it almost stopped beating. She could feel something inside of her chest that almost made this moment pure bliss. She could feel something inside of her chest that almost made the world not matter. She could feel something inside her chest that told her that this felt perfect, that it was perfect.

She almost believed she had a heart. She almost believed that she could feel love. She almost let the tears welling in her eyes fall as she almost didn't push him away…

* * *

Ta da!!! Did you likey? I had fun writing it! I'm super sorry I couldn't update sooner. My life has been pretty busy lately. I know that's not an excuse but I really have. I wish I could've updated sooner… Anyway, I think it was a cliffy but I had to stop it there because that's where the title of the chapter wanted me to stop!

Please review! They make me happy! Constructive criticism is very helpful for people like me who have terrible grammar! Please click the green button!

Next Chapter: Forbidden Feeling (most likely will change)

PS. Did you like the IshiHime? I tried to play it into it! More StarkHalibel next chappy!


	6. Forbidden Feeling

I'm trying to update more recently. Hope you like the chappy. I'll be a very happy writer if you do!!! Here's a warning I have a spoiler for Stark and Halibel's release forms. So if you don't want to see then don't read a bit, its in the only scene with Stark and Halibel.

* * *

Chapter 6: Forbidden Feeling

To say Rose was angry was an understatement. She was _furious_. The little scene with Adelita and Ulquiorra she saw inside the meeting room she saw earlier made her mad. What she saw later was worse. She saw _that woman _kissing _her_ Ulquiorra. She didn't stay for long because the scene made her sick to her stomach.

She was literally stomping her way around, craters lying astray all over the floor. As she stomped past Marcelo she could almost feel the smug smile upon his lips. She stopped abruptly as she just past him. Her long red locks flew around her as she violently whipped her head around to face him.

"What do you want, Marcelo?!" Rose asked angrily, "It had better not be to mock me."

"Now why would I ever want to do that, Rose?" Marcelo asked, his smirk never lifting, "You and I both know that Adelita and Ulquiorra are defying fate. They aren't supposed to be together. You can't throw a fit over something as stupid as a kiss. Sooner or later there are going to have to realise that they do not belong together."

"Then why?! Why can't they do it sooner?! I'm sick and tired of waiting! Ulquiorra's supposed to be mine! He _is _mine! That bitch has no right to touch something that isn't her's!" Rose yelled at Marcelo, a mix of rage and grief in her eyes, "I just want what I deserve…"

"Calm down, Rose." Marcelo said casually, "You can't throw in the towel this early in the game. We just have to stop them from defying the fate that Aizen-sama carefully picked out for them…"

* * *

Ulquiorra looked at Adelita with confusion. She had pushed him away; her arms outstretched in front of her. He could see the water, regret and confusion all gathering in her eyes. She closed her eyes and only opened them to look down to the floor.

Adelita felt the different emotions rushing through her body, only to gather in one spot in her chest. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, to clamp her hands over her ear, anything to make it stop. To stop confusing her and making her think that she could have a heart.

Her hands dropped to her side, her head still drooped. Ulquiorra attempted to reach out for her but before he could touch her she head snapped up. The tears welling up even more in her eyes.

"Adelita…" He began, his voice showing that her reaction wasn't one he expected, something close to hurt buried deep in his voice.

"I'm sorry." She apologized in a voice so small it was barely audible.

She turned on her heel and the dull sound of Sonido resounded in his ears as she used it to get away. The only trace she had left behind were the drops of water that had managed to escape from her eyes when she had turned.

* * *

Adelita sat in her room, back leaning against the door. Legs stretched out in front of her, eyes gazing at the spot just in front of her feet. Tears streaming almost endlessly from her eyes as the _thing_ in her chest continued to ache and ache. Her hands clutching that certain spot in an attempt to try and get it to stop hurting.

Adelita hated herself. She _hated_ everything about herself. She hated how different she was, she hated how she was such a hindrance, she hated how she could never do enough. She hated how she continued to have these feelings towards Ulquiorra and most of all she hated how she couldn't control them.

She brought her fingers to her lips, the trace of his lips still lingering on them. As she remembered the way his lips were on her's something in her chest wouldn't fluttering. The emotions she never thought to have mixing and swirling in her chest.

Adelita couldn't help but squeeze her eyes as tight as possible and clap her hands over her ears. Her chest felt a strange pain, a pain that felt like… heartache.

"Why…? Why can't these feelings just leave me alone?" She whispered to no one before her eyes widened as she remembered something.

* * *

"…_Please, if you ever get to see him. Just tell him that." Pleading eyes, desperation clear in her voice._

"_How did you realise your feelings so quickly? I thought before you said you didn't love him… Don't you usually need a lot of time to think over things such as these?" Confusion clear in her eyes._

"_You don't need a lot of time to realise something. Some things take years or decades or maybe even centuries to realise. But sometimes you only need a blink of an eye. You left me alone for a while and that was all I needed to figure out my feelings." Gentle eyes looking straight into her's._

"_But why, Orihime-san? Why are you going to such lengths to tell him this? Why is it so important…?" Confusion never leaving her._

"_It's because I want him to know how much my heart flutters every time I see him, how special he makes me feel, how wonderful it is to know he cares, how amazing it is to know he understands, how much he matters… Just how special he is. I want him to know that him going to the end of the world for me isn't in vain because I'm willing to do the same. Most of all, I want him to know I'm sorry that I didn't realise sooner, that I lead myself on and hurt him in the process. I _need_ him to know that I've fallen in love with him too." An explanation which made her cheeks turn rosy._

"_How do you know? How do you know when you have a heart? How do you know you're in love?" Clearly she didn't understand._

"_Adelita-san a heart creates all those feelings that make you feel special. It creates joy, happiness, love and so much more. When you love someone you feel special and warm and you care so much for each other that nothing else matters. When you touch, as in touch intimately the whole world seems to stop, as if to savour the moment forever. You're ready to go anywhere and everywhere for their sake." The soft answer, a smile making it's way onto her lips.

* * *

_

_Blink of an eye, huh? _She thought, _I guess that was all I needed._

She couldn't believe it. Her eyes showed shock as her mind could barely register the new discovery.

"I see…" She then whispered to no one in particular, "But why? Why do I have a heart? Why do I feel love?" Her eyes were once again wisped with tears as her mind grasped onto something else, "How did I fall in love with him? How did this forbidden feeling…?"

The realisation was so sudden she was barely conscious she had realised it. Her mind in so much shock that she could feel her body go slightly numb.

She opened her eyes slightly and removed her hands from her ears as shock slowly left her body. Feeling began to fill the numbness as guilt coursed through her body.

"Why did I push him away?" She wondered, confusion once again clouding her eyes.

She curled herself into a tight ball and cried on her knees; upset that she would do such a thing to the person she cared so much about, to the person she loved. She pulled herself tighter and fell in to what she hoped was a dreamless sleep.

How wrong she was.

* * *

Stark's kisses burned on Halibel's olive skin. Her messy yellow hair was unbound from her usual braids and was sprawled over all the pillows. Only a simple thin sheet of white covered both of their bare bodies as they both made sweet love. They held each other tight, almost as close as could be.

"What was that about hoping that Adelita didn't think we slept together?" Stark whispered slowly into her ear.

"Shut up Wolfie. You and I both know we sleep together." Halibel said, her mouth covered by the white mask, the pet name not uncommon to her tongue.

"Then why are you so ashamed for people to know we make love every night, Tibu?" Stark asked, a smug look in his eyes as the pet name he knew she hated was said so easily.

"If you are going to call me by my Resurección at least do it by its _whole _name." Halibel scolded impassively.

"You know you actually love that name." Stark teased as his head dropped and let his lips meet her flesh.

Halibel made an unseen face behind her mask as he continued to kiss her.

"Your mask is so annoying." Stark mumbled against her, his fingers fingering where her lips were supposed to be, "I want to know what it's like to kiss your lips."

"Live with it lover-boy. There are other things for you to kiss." Halibel told him, she hid her own disappointment of how she couldn't feel his lips on her own.

"No, but kissing your lips would feel so much better, Tia." Stark said as he kissed the tender spot on her stomach, her real name rolling easily off his tongue.

"You could try, but I doubt you would feel anything." Halibel said suddenly, surprising them both.

Stark sat up, looking at his lover. This was different, he had brought up the subject so many times but she had dismissed it so easily before.

"What's with the change?" Stark asked her.

"I saw… something today." Halibel said, her eyes staring deeply into the wells of his, "Adelita and Ulquiorra… they finally got their heads out of their asses and kissed just for the sake of it. I want to see what will happen if I- if we tried to. If we'd have the same sparks I know they did."

As she closed her eyes Halibel could feel something in her chest continue to beat and beat until she felt _alive_. She could feel something that didn't feel like lust and something that felt more like love swirl inside of her. Excitement and anxiousness of what might happen when his lips finally touched where her's were supposed to be.

Stark looked at her before bending down once more to try and claim her lips. He shut his eyes and continued to lean down. When he felt his lips come in contact with something, it wasn't her mask. It was soft and moist; it couldn't have been a mask. Masks always felt hard and bony, this didn't feel anything like that. When he opened his eyes he saw what he was kissing wasn't a cold mask but the actually very warm lips of his lover.

Stark pulled away from her as he put a little distance between their faces. Not only around her lips but her whole mask in general was gone, replaced with soft skin.

"H-how?" They both whispered softly in unison. Neither could believe that her mask could've disappeared.

Halibel saw that it was not only her that was missing something. Stark's neck was no longer decorated with the usual jaw. She reached one of her hands up to touch his neck, as if to check that it was skin she was touching.

"T-this is… different." Stark stated, shock overcoming his features.

Suddenly he felt lips on his and two arms tightly wrapped around his neck. He looked at the face of the girl who had sat up to meet his lips, her eyes shut. He chose to follow in suit and wrap his own arms around her middle. When she finally pulled away she looked him straight in the eye and only tightened her grip on him.

"This may not last long and I want to use this time as best as possible." Halibel explained.

All Stark had to do was kiss her again and she knew he shared the same views.

Throughout the whole night what felt like love coursed through them, a stronger bond forming between them. However, they _tried_ to deny and dismiss the feelings. As the night moved on sometimes they just let themselves believe that love was possible. Although almost as soon as they let themselves believe that they quickly stopped. After all love was a forbidden feeling for hollows.

The next morning the only thing they had left from the night before were their memories. Their masks were once again in place making both to wonder why such a thing happened.

* * *

Ulquiorra sat alone on his bed in his room, the previous events playing in his mind. He wondered what he did _wrong_, why she reacted that way. From the look in her eyes he could tell there was a turmoil going on inside of her. He was just too blind to see it.

_How could I have been so stupid as to not see what was happening to her? How idiotic of me… _Ulquiorra thought, holding his head in his hands.

He couldn't remember the last time he sat alone in his room like this. Previously in her cheerful presence had filled the atmosphere around him. Now, she had run off so quickly, leaving him behind along with a hollow feeling. Feeling that felt like…heartbreak.

He couldn't follow her, more like something stopped him and another thing had urged him to chase after her. The more logical side of him had told him she was just another arrancar and that he shouldn't waste emotion on her. A more emotionally, analogical side of him disagreed, telling him that she was someone too important to leave.

Suddenly he heard a yell, loud enough for him to hear but only barely. He knew who it was from; he knew where it was coming from. It was from the room beside him and he knew the voice too well. He literally jumped off his bed and ran out of his room. He didn't even knock as he slid the door open.

What he saw next wasn't what he expected. He saw Adelita's form curled up a tight ball. That wasn't all though. Her hair was dishevelled and he could see the wet tear marks on her pants. Dry tear marks ran down her face and her eyes were lines with red.

"Ulquiorra…?" She whispered as she turned her head up to meet his gaze.

Before he knew what was happening she hugged him. She had gotten on her feet and turned around to face him. Her arms were affectionately around his neck and her head delicately placed against his chest. Confusion wrought through his whole body but his face showed no emotion.

"What happened to you?" He asked, the question lingering in the atmosphere.

"I…I don't know…" She stuttered into his shirt, "I don't r-remember anything… All I remember up to is giving Orihime-san her clothes a-and then my mind is all b-blank."

"Why are you crying over something like that?" He asked the sobbing girl.

"A-after the blank I remember I fell asleep, but I don't know why I was sleeping against my door." She said in befuddlement, "T-then I had a nightmare. At first I was j-just walking through an empty dark sp-space… B-but then it went horrible, I c-couldn't control myself and I-I watched myself kill someone… kill _you_."

Ulquiorra placed his arms tightly around her back, gently rubbing her back.

"W-when I woke up I st-started crying more. I-I don't know w-why though. I suddenly felt like I forgot something really important… I felt so _dead_." She continued her voice showing the heartache she was experience.

"…It was a mere dream Adelita. Don't worry over something like this." Ulquiorra comforted awkwardly.

Adelita tightened her grip as she looked up to his face, "W-when I was walking through that empty space I felt so alone and it felt so real. A-and that dead feeling felt so horrible. W-what do I do?"

"Just get some more rest… Take your mind off such trivial matters. It was dream, a ridiculous dream." Ulquiorra said smoothly.

"I-it was a terrible, terrible, so incredibly terrible _nightmare_…" She mumbled in a trembling voice into his chest, "You know that I can never get to sleep after a nightmare, my head just flashes with the images. I can't stop thinking about it…"

Adelita gasped as she felt her feet left the floor. Whilst she had been distracted he had removed one of his hands from her back. He had secured them around knees and hoisted her up. She tightened her grip on his neck and his other hand found a more secure place on her back.

"Ulquiorra…!" She gasped as she felt his grip tighten.

"If that dream won't leave your mind then I'll hold you until it does." Ulquiorra answered, as if it was almost _too _easy to figure out.

"But you can't just stand here and _hold _me!" She half-yelled in a flustered voice, her cheeks cherry red.

"I'm not." He replied simply.

He walked into the still open door of her bedroom. After entering the door slid shut as usual. He walked to the bed and sat on the edge, still not putting the girl down. He let go of her legs and fell onto his lap. Adelita could barely comprehend the suggestive position she was in. She was sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and one of his hands securely on her back. Her face continued to redden and she was thankful that the room was quite dark.

Suddenly he lay down on the bed, taking her down with him. He shifted his body so that it was going the same direction as the bed. He used his other unused arm to pull the messy navy sheets over them. He then placed the same hand on her head to secure her in place. All the while her arms were trapped around his neck, too embarrassed to move an inch.

Ulquiorra had to admit, the position they were in was definitely indecent. Her body tightly pressed and atop his own. Her legs on either side of his hips and her face pressed against his chest. His arms were still around her as she tried not to think about the position they were in.

"U-Ulquiorra…?" She mumbled out.

"Just sleep you stupid woman." He ordered softly, his hands running up and down her back.

Adelita almost hesitantly shut her eyes and tried to stop herself from thinking about the dream. She squeezed her eyes as tightly as possible and her face showed tension. Her body quivered slightly from both an unknown coolness wafting in the atmosphere and the memories of her horrid nightmare. She pulled Ulquiorra closer and her grip tightened, a meagre attempt to find some sort of solace and stop her shaking.

Ulquiorra' arms gave a reassuring tightening of their grasp. Her shaking didn't stop though, her face showing an expression different from any expression he had seen on her face before. The usual cheer or sereneness was gone without leaving a single trace, something close to fear replacing them.

He was starting to worry, Ulquiorra was starting to worry. A feat no one thought possible for the otherwise impassive arrancar. Ulquiorra, being the only thing he could do, bent his head slightly so that his lips would meet the top of her head. Adelita's breath caught in her throat and looked up to meet his face. Without being completely aware of what she was doing she moved her head up, capturing his lips in the process. Barely a peck, only leaving a feather light trace. Somehow she found comfort in the affectionate action.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra." She whispered, her breath tickling his lips.

She laid her head back down onto his chest. Her mind still in completely confusion as she closed her eyes.

_Why did I do that? Why did I kiss Ulquiorra? What was in that missing piece of my memory? All I remember is Orihime-san telling me to tell her friends she was alright and to tell the one named 'Ishida-kun' something but then I can't remember anything… I know I had questions to ask her… What were they? _She thought just as she drifted into unconsciousness.

_Why…? More so how? How did she forget a certain time period? Did someone purposely tamper with her memories? Who would try…? No Espada in Las Noches possesses any mind manipulating techniques. If so why would someone purposely try to create more turmoil within her? This is ridiculous. _Ulquiorra thought, his face cringing all the while.

* * *

Bubbles filled the pure white bath tub to the rim. Rose sat in the centre of the tub, hair damp with water and unbound by any plaits. Her back leaned against the edge and legs hung on the side of the tub, dangling in an almost carefree way. Her lips were curved in a wicked smile, her eyes dancing with cruel amusement.

One of her arms rested on the side of the tub as the other held something in front of her eyes. A blue and purple rose trapped within a clear white crystal was placed elegantly in her fingertips. Trapped in the crystal as well surrounding the rose were vines adorned by thorns, entangling each other but never touching the rose itself. The thorns so close to the rose that it was almost constricting it. She gazed at the rose, twisting and turning it in her hold as if to observe it from all sides.

She heard faint footsteps approaching the room. She knew the reiatsu all too well; she didn't care as the man opened the door and entered the room. Marcelo entered the bathroom, he had sensed her reiatsu. His eyes held impassiveness, just blank emotions and his lips were set in a firm line, unlike the front he had showed before. He didn't really care that she was bathing nor the fact that she was naked. Neither did she, situations such as these had gone past embarrassing long before.

"I take it that it went smoothly?" Marcelo asked, his eyes drifting to the item in her hand.

"Of course. It was almost _too _easy." Rose answered, the smile soon transforming into an almost sad smirk, "Her feelings so different from others though. So precious and delicate, yet the very protection was a danger. It seems that she had an ongoing chaos within her."

"That is the price she had to pay for defying her fate. It is the price for us to bring her back to the correct fate." Marcelo said, his voice colder than the voice he used in public.

"I know, I know. I just feel a little sorry for the bitch. She doesn't have a clue." Rose said, her smirk becoming the smile once again.

Marcelo took a few steps towards her so that he was fully inside of the room. He didn't expect the floor to be so… well slippery. It didn't help that he was barefoot either. He slipped on the wet floor only to land atop of bathing redhead. Rose dropped her hand holding the rose, still holding on to it.

Situations like this weren't awkward with them.

"If you wanted to join you could just ask." Rose said irritated but not angry.

"Just 'cause I slipped and fell and just so happened to land atop you doesn't mean I want to join you in a bath." Marcelo replied, his features unchanging, nothing short of passive.

"Well you need one." Rose retorted, holding her free hand to her nose, "Did you just train?"

"What about it?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"You stink," She said blatantly, "literally."

"You just want me to take a bath with you again." He pointed out, a smug look on his face.

"So what? You and I both know I need physical contact regularly. I haven't had much lately…" She rambled, her eyes averting his as her cheeks bloomed red.

"Whatever…" He sighed as he slipped off the open jacket.

* * *

Grimmjow felt nothing short of awkward. This was the first he had slept with a girl without actually _sleeping_ with her. He looked at the sleeping face of his lover, looking strangely sweet. Both of them were fully clothed, well _fully _would be the wrong word. She was wearing her very revealing pyjamas again and he was wearing only loose pants. Sleeping in the same bed without actually having sex was actually less boring than he thought it to be.

He had just gotten his arm back and they somehow gotten to his room. And somehow gotten into his bed and somehow _not _shed any clothes along the way. They simply lay in the bed, caressing, kissing and flirting. He vividly remembered how they fell asleep; she complained at how tired she was and fell asleep after giving him the most passionate kiss yet. He couldn't really complain because the girl was a great kisser, he didn't _want _to complain.

At the moment Grimmjow had his arm around her slimmer body, the way he remembered leaving it the night before. A soft but sure snoring was coming from her form, disrupting the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

Apache's eyes slowly opened as she felt his arms shift slightly, being a surprisingly light sleeper. Her half-lidded different coloured eyes glaring straight into his blue eyes for waking her up.

"Yo, sleepy." Grimmjow greeted.

"Yo yourself." Apache greeted back before burying her face back into his chest being careful as to not jab him with her horn, obviously still sleepy, "I need more sleep so just stay like this. Wake me up in an hour."

"I don't even get a morning kiss, maybe your losing your touch." He teased half-heartedly as he waited in amusement for her top to blow.

Apache brought her face up from his chest and gave him a glare. Expecting a retort Grimmjow opened his mouth only for Apache to meet his lips with her's. Taking advantage of his already open mouth she pushed her tongue into his mouth. Grimmjow responded to the kiss whole-heartedly, enjoying her reaction.

Eventually she broke the kiss and then pressed her head against his neck, careful of her horn. She then wrapped her bare arms tightly around his neck as if to keep him with her for a while.

"You got your stupid kiss now I'm taking a nap. Wake me up in an hour." Apache said tiredly, repeating the order of when to wake her up.

"I don't remember you being the Espada and being able to give _me _orders." He reminded smugly.

"Just do it you bastard," She said before adding, "for me."

Grimmjow looked at her, she had never used that one before.

"Whatever… You wanted to sleep so just get to sleep dumbass." He replied unsure of how to react to her request.

* * *

Adelita cast a final backward glance at the man sleeping soundly in her bed. She made sure not to wake him when she had gotten out as she had done so many times before.

She exited her room, the door sliding silently behind her. Using Sonido she sped off, not completely sure where exactly she was going. She was simply following the closest reiatsu that couldn't possibly have been an arrancar. It just happened the one with the largest one.

She was following Ichigo.

_I'm sorry Ulquiorra. I know you've told me a million times not to be a 'stupid woman' but I need to do this. For Orihime-san. _She thought, knowing full well she was going to get a lecture from Ulquiorra after this.

Despite the fact that she was an Espada, not to mention a high ranking Espada, she might still get badly hurt. She knew this and she was still going to try. She needed to do this Orihime. Orihime had such desperation it would've been despicable of her to refuse. But then again, weren't hollows supposed to be despicable? To be heartless and selfish? Then why was there this urge to go and do this for her?

Her mind began to spin, unsureness swirling and twisting in her head. She stopped suddenly, only to grasp her head in the pain. Her vision started to blur slightly and her feet felt unsteady. She fell to the ground, still holding onto her aching head.

Images flashed and voices echoed in her head. The images were too fast and she hardly pick out what they were of. Barely catching flashes of colours and outlines of figures. The voices were either too fast or too slow; she couldn't decipher what they were saying. Only hearing mixed up murmurs and mumbles.

She bit back a scream, her world not making any sense. A bead of sweat dripped from her forehead as she clutched her head tighter and tighter. She felt like her head was going to burst, all the images and voices seeming never-ending.

Soon enough they did end. She flicked her eyes open, unsure of when she had squeezed them closed so tightly. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and stop the shivering; she didn't know when she had started to shake so violently.

She eventually got up; wiping her brow which had sweat had covered. She took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand. After regaining her composure she used Sonido to continue following Ichigo. Only one thought in mind,

_What just happened? Does it have to do with my memory…?

* * *

_

Ichigo stood in the large hall, Nel securely in his hold. His senses sharpened just in case an enemy decided sneak up on them. He couldn't have them defeated, not before they got to Orihime and got her to safety.

When he felt a strong reiatsu flood his senses he tightened his grip on Nel and whipped his head around to try and find the owner. He heard footsteps and turned his head to where the sound was coming from. There was a figure descending a stair to the side of the hall. The strange thing was she was doing so in an almost casual manner.

As she reached the bottom of the stair she began to approach him. He heard her footsteps loud and clear a bounce in her step. She held her hands behind her back in a carefree way and a small smile was displayed on her lips.

When she was about a few metres away from she stopped. Her smile never leaving her lips.

"Hey, my name's Adelita Freed, an Espada. I suspect you're substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. Am I right?" Adelita checked, almost as if she was playing a game. Her eyes slowly drifted to the child in his hold familiarity gathering in her eyes, "I-Is she…?"

Ichigo immediately shied Nel from her view, suspecting that maybe she would try and target Nel.

"Don't worry; I don't want to hurt anyone I don't have to." She reassured, the smile on her face widening slightly, "She just reminds me of someone."

"If you're an Espada, doesn't that mean you're _supposed_ to kill me?" Ichigo inquired.

"I'm, let's say, a little different." Adelita answered cheekily, looking like she was about to laugh, "I merely have a message from Orihime-san. Like those message birds fly around with messages. Though you don't really see them nowadays… It's sort of old-fashioned now…"

"I-Inoue…?" He managed to stutter out.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, didn't I?" She started, she placed a finger on her chin as if remembering a distant memory, "Orihime-san has been put under my care whilst she is-"

Before Adelita was given a chance finish Ichigo had charged at her, sword in hand. Nel was to the side so she wouldn't get hurt. A loud clashing sound of metal hitting metal was heard.

Adelita stood with a blank expression on her face, her sword in front of her. Both hands placed gracefully on the lilac hilt. Both blades were against each other, metal against metal.

"Inoue's under your care, right?" He asked rhetorically, "That means you can take me right to her."

She merely sighed and pushed back his sword with enough force to push him back a good few metres.

"I told you, I don't want to fight. I just have a message. I don't want to play some carnage game of who can shed more blood." She said tiredly, her smile a thing of the past.

Ichigo didn't bother to answer as he charged once more, only for metal to clash again.

"I just want to save my friend." He finally said, "Just take me to her."

"Sorry but I can't." She answered simply, "I only have a message. I didn't come here so I could kill you." she sighed once again before adding, "But I guess if you won't listen to it peacefully…" her eyes suddenly flared, "I'll have to make you."

* * *

So… how was it? Did you like it? Sorry it's a little short. I'm actually trying to make my chappies a little shorter now so I can update sooner AND I don't give too much away.

I've been wondering this for a while… But is Ulquiorra OOC? I want to know so I can fix him up if he is. I'm trying to make him still quite silent but make it so that he cares in his own way. Oh and I WILL go into more detail of his and Adelita's relationship and their past. In due time in due time. Don't know when but it will be shown!!!

StarkHalibel, IshiHime and GrimmjowxApache were all in there. IshiHime was sort of shrouded but I hope you got the message! I'll _try _and squeeze some GinRan in there next time but no promises…

Constructive criticism is highly encouraged for the grammar idiot over here~! Please review! They make me feel very special.

Next Chapter: Fear of Losing


	7. Fear of Losing

Hi people! Miss me? Teehee… I bet no one did.

Oh and by the way the first little scene is set when Adelita was Ulquiorra's Fracción share a bed. It's not just a dream by the way, it actually happened.

I also wanted to do a bibliography like thing because I don't want to have an inspiration from someone and not give credit. That's against the law. Sorry, I'm in a weird mood, as usual… Anyway I want to say that one of the scenes was inspired by an idea SteelShadowFang suggested. It's not the exactly same, but it's the same idea.

Oh, the first little block of writing is part of the actual chapter. It's like a little voice, not an actual character, but like a consciousness in Ulquiorra's mind.

Anyways, enjoy the chappy, okay?

* * *

Chapter 7: Fear of Losing

"Normal arrancar don't have dreams or nightmares. When they fall asleep they merely see nothingness, not even black, just nothing. Adelita was different from the start; she always had dreams, good and bad. When an arrancar, who has never had a dream before, has a dream for the first time it means something's going to happen. Whether good or bad, doesn't determine what will happen… Remember that."

* * *

_Adelita shot up from her bed, her breath was short and her body was trembling. Sweat coated her brow and her vibrant violet eyes were shaking. She wrapped her bare arms around herself, as if it would help her calm down. _

_Ulquiorra, being the light sleeper he was, awoke. Concern was written in his eyes as they lay on her distressed figure. He, being the only thing he could do, embraced her form from behind. Adelita's eyes widened at first before returning back to their original size. _

_She curled her hands in her chest and closed her eyes, feeling safer in his embrace. Although, as soon as her eyes closed they snapped back open. Images and sounds she thought were left in her dreams flashed through her mind._

"_Adelita," Ulquiorra murmured, his lips were against the column of her neck, "what happened?"_

"_I-I…" Adelita began, even her voice trembling with fear, "I had a nightmare."_

_Ulquiorra's arms tightened slightly around her front, as if he was telling her to continue. Adelita brought her hands to hold onto his and intertwined her fingers._

"_Y-you forgot about me. You didn't know who I was; you acted like I never existed. It was like you never met me." Adelita whispered, "I don't want to think about what life would be like if I hadn't met you. I don't want you forget about me…"_

"_I won't." Ulquiorra said as if it was the most simple thing ever, "I will never forget about you."_

"_How do you know that? What if-" Adelita began._

"_Don't ponder on what if. It is stupid, just focus on the present." Ulquiorra sighed, "I don't make meaningless promises."_

"_You-" Adelita started, realisation in her voice, "You promised?"_

"_You know I hate repeating myself, you stupid woman." Ulquiorra said, irritation hinted in his voice.

* * *

_

Ulquiorra awoke from his surprisingly deep slumber. Involuntarily he felt around the space beside him, to check if she was there. His eyes flicked open when all he could feel was the sheets of her bed. Ulquiorra's body suddenly shot up and looked around in an almost frantic manner.

The ugly truth sank into his mind and burned into his ears. He didn't want it to be, he wanted it to be his mind playing tricks on him. He didn't want this to be happening, he was denying reality. It wasn't long before he had to accept the fact.

Adelita was gone.

* * *

Grimmjow tried futilely to get out of the arms of his lover. Apache didn't want to let him go, she didn't want to think about what would happen when he left her arms. Apache was afraid, he may never return to them.

"I told you I'll be fine." Grimmjow said, his voice was as if he was trying to comfort her. He had tried the angry approach and she had fought back just as furiously, "I'm an Espada remember?"

"I don't care!" Apache shouted into his chest before her voice softened, "I don't want to lose you again…"

"What shit are you talking about?! Again?!" Grimmjow said a little louder, his temper started to get the better of him, "When in hell did you lose me?!"

"When you lost your arm… When you lost it you changed. Changed so much that when you touched me, talked to me, kissed me, even when you bloody _fucked _me, it felt like it wasn't _you_! I felt so damn numb! It felt like I lost you. It freaking felt like I could have found another man-bitch to lo-" Apache began before stopping in her tracks, "Never mind. It just wasn't you."

"Pick the crap out of your ears. I've told you about 50 fucking times that I. Will. Be. Fine. Is that so damn hard to comprehend?!" Grimmjow asked, his temper was rising and rising.

"I just don't want lose you okay? You're telling me to pick the crap out of my ears? There's probably a whole bunch of shit in yours!" Apache shouted, her voice was starting to sound like she was about to cry, "Just listen. This isn't just about me and what I want. It's the fact that you could die. It's the fact that your being so _stupid _and _selfish_ and _ignorant_ and-"

"Sorry, Apache but I gotta go." Grimmjow whispered suddenly, a smile on his lips as Apache lifted her eyes to look at him.

"W-wait! I haven't even told you that I lo-" Apache began; she was trying to blurt out all her feelings at once.

Grimmjow just gave her firm knock at a pressure point in her neck, shock welling in her already wide eyes.

"I fucking swear on every dead person out there that I will be fine." Grimmjow said loudly just as she slipped into unconsciousness, his voice quietened down and whispered into the shell of her ear, "It's a promise." His eyes softened as he saw the wet tears still present on her face, "You don't need to tell me you idiot. I already know." Grimmjow placed a soft kiss on her forehead, just to the side of her horn.

* * *

Adelita sent another powerful kick towards Ichigo. Her facial expression made it look like it was an effortless task as her blow connected. Ichigo had tried to shield himself with his sword; he had angled it so that her leg had made contact with the broad sword and not his side. It had shielded him to an extent, but apparently not enough. The power behind the blow had sent him flying across the room, crashing into the opposite wall.

Nel was crying and yelling the name of Ichigo from her spot to the side. Neither Ichigo nor Adelita wanted her hurt. A transparent tinted with blue dome shaped shield surrounded her. Adelita had put it up when they had begun fighting. Ichigo had protested at first but Adelita told him if he didn't want her hurt by being caught in the fight he would just leave it. It wasn't like Ichigo could protect Nel and fight Adelita all at the same time.

Adelita sighed, she was slightly fed up. That wasn't the first kick that had given him damage. The bruises that were already starting to swell and the many cuts and scrapes were there to prove it. Her sword had long since been sheathed as she had preferred hand to hand combat. Ichigo didn't seem to share the view.

A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth as he got out of the crater in the wall. He sent her another fiery look; he was determined to rescue his friend.

"Can we just stop this?" Adelita asked, it was more a request than anything, "I don't want to fight."

"Just bring me to Inoue!" Ichigo shouted, his hands tightening harder and harder with every second.

Adelita just sighed once more before her figure just disappeared from his vision. He heard the dull sound of Sonido and desperately tried to figure where she was going to appear. Like the times she had used it before she didn't appear straightaway like he had seen other arrancar. It was as if she had literally disappeared, the thing was that he couldn't trace her reiatsu. It was flying all over the area, from left to right, up to down, everywhere.

"You know Ichigo-san," Adelita started before her foot shot out. Ichigo had immediately whirled around and held Zangetsu in a horizontal position to block the kick. Her foot made contact and sent him sliding back a good few metres, "you're full of openings. I might accidentally kill you if you aren't more careful. I don't want to have to kill you if I don't have to."

"Why are you doing this?!" Ichigo yelled.

"I told you already, didn't I? I have a message from Orihime-san. I told her I would tell her friends. I don't like breaking promises." Adelita said nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You're an arrancar! I can't guarantee that I can believe everything you say. This could all be a trap, I'm not that stupid." Ichigo said.

"I know I'm a hollow, I know I don't have a heart so I can't feel love or compassion or anything of the sort. I just can't help being me though and this is me." Adelita said coldly.

"We've said enough. I'm going to rescue Inoue and no one not even an Espada is going to stop me." Ichigo said finally before his reiatsu flared a little.

Adelita stared straight at him before her eyes scrunched up a little as if it was painful for her. As Ichigo charged at her she disappeared with Sonido again. Ichigo stopped in his tracks and started looking around him to make sure she didn't sneak up on him.

Her figure finally appeared to his side and he readily swung at her. Her leg that was already preparing for a kick blocked the sword, her Hierro protecting her from any damage.

"Why did you stop?" She asked, her eyes narrowed, "Sonido is much like your Shunpo, it's a speed technique. Stopping would only make it easier for me."

"You use Sonido differently than any other arrancar. It's a little faster than the average one and it makes a softer sound. You don't even use it to get a speed advantage, you use it to disappear from sight. Your destination isn't near the opponent but around the area and then you use it to attack when your opponent is open. Also since you're using it so much your reiatsu goes flying everywhere so your opponent can't figure out where you are exactly." Ichigo explained, a smirk planted on his face, "The thing is that since your Sonido _is_ fast you have to use a lot to disappear for longer periods of time. It sucks a tonne of reiatsu doesn't it?"

"Wow. You figured it out. You haven't even seen it many times. There's only been one other person to figure my technique out." Adelita said, her voice hinted that she was quite impressed, "But… That isn't the only technique I have up my sleeve. I hope you understand that."

"You wouldn't be a very good opponent if you didn't." Ichigo said cheekily.

Ichigo applied more force to his sword, swinging it harder. Adelita's eyes widened then narrowed once again as the blade started to cut through her Hierro. She quickly used Sonido to get away before she got her whole leg sliced off.

She appeared behind him, a few metres away. She clutched the spot just above her knee, where his Zanpakutou had breached her Hierro and managed to injure her. It was bleeding profusely, her fingers were bunching up the fabric near the injury.

"You also prefer to use your legs to attack, plus… if I managed to damage your legs then your Sonido wouldn't be quite as effective." Ichigo said cheekily as Adelita glared at him.

"I guess I should stop going so easy on you." Adelita said carelessly.

Her hand left the wound, letting it bleed freely. Ichigo felt the slight rise in her reiatsu as she pointed her finger at him.

"I hope you didn't forget what I said earlier. This is another trick I have, it's called Cinta Cero." Adelita said before a violet light started to charge up at the tip of her finger.

Almost as soon as the light had appeared it had fired. Her cero wasn't vast like many of the other Espada's cero, it was very thin almost streamline. Ichigo quickly use Shunpo as to avoid the cero, appearing at a spot metres to the side. Ichigo couldn't comprehend it as the streamline cero changed course and shot at him at lightning speed. Ichigo prepared to use Shunpo again but wasn't quick enough as the cero rounded him. It hit him in the back and brought him back to his original spot but now he was lying on his stomach.

"You're lucky I didn't give it the same energy as a normal cero or you'd be burnt into oblivion. I made it so it was more like a Bala, so it must have felt like someone hit you really hard." Adelita said as she walked towards him.

"How did you do that? Normal cero can't change direction." Ichigo asked slowly as he began to get up.

"My Cinta Cero can. It's a little special." Adelita said as she got closer and closer, "Let's just say it's a very… flexible."

Ichigo stood up fully, his shoulders were slumped and his knees were bent. He panted as he held his Zanpakutou in front of him, ready to attack once again. As Adelita closed in she brought her right hand back and got ready to hit him. Ichigo was more than ready for the attack and blocked the attack. It was much weaker than her usual kicks. Her knuckles were starting to bruise and swell as the blow had inflicted damage on her.

Ichigo's feet didn't even slide back an inch but he had to admit the attack still had a considerable amount of force behind it. He wasn't particularly struggling but it still acquired a certain amount of effort to make sure her hit didn't connect with him. Her head was bowed slightly, her bangs shrouded her eyes.

"You know… There's a reason to why I don't like using my hands to attack. You see… I'm actually left-handed but a while ago my left hand became a little useless." Adelita said, her voice was hinted with regret, "And now… One of my legs is going to hinder me a little. You're making this a little harder for me."

Adelita brought her head up, a slight smile on her lips. She brought up her left hand and gripped his hands which were on the handle. She gripped them tightly enough so that his hands wouldn't be able to move from the handle. Her punching hand also held on to the actual blade, her Hierro protecting her skin.

She lifted up her leg and sent a quick blow to his neck, slamming him downward onto the floor. In the process she let go of his hands and blade only to use one of her hands to twist one of his arms painfully behind his back. The other arm was trapped underneath his own body, his blade laid just to the side.

She was now in a comprehensive position of sitting on his back, legs on either side of him. She used her free hand to grip his hair and pull his head up.

"Look, I hate using tactics like this but I have a message Orihime-san really wants me to deliver. So just shut up and listen." Adelita said, it was obvious she really didn't want to do this.

Ichigo grunted in an unpleasant way, pain was registered clearly on his face.

"I won't guarantee I will believe you." He replied as he winced.

"You don't have to. I have to relay the message, that's all I had to do." Adelita informed him, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Orihime-san wants all her friends to leave," She stopped as Ichigo's expression turned into one of fury, "she wants all of you to know she is fine and that you don't need to do this. She doesn't want any of you to get hurt."

Ichigo's reiatsu suddenly hit a whole new level, his anger getting the better of him. He pushed her off him with an immense strength, slamming her into a wall. Adelita gasp as she heard a sickening crack as her front crashed into the wall.

The ribbon that usually held her hair in its usual high ponytail broke when she collided into the wall. Her hair's true bluish colour revealed itself, no longer appearing black. Her natural loose waves fell around her shoulders, only a few centimetres past her shoulders. The curves closest to her face curled around her face slightly, tickling her cheeks.

The shield around Nel flickered before shattering. The broken pieces of the shield disappearing as soon as they hit the ground.

Adelita pushed herself from the wall, balancing most of her weight on the wall, and turned to face him, tenderly holding her ribs. Her face clearly showing that she was in pain. She let out a small hiss as she felt the area groan in pain as she stood up by herself.

"At least it's not broken…" Adelita mumbled.

Ichigo stood stronger than before, his reiatsu blazed around his figure, his Zanpakutou firmly in his grip. He charged forward a blow powerful enough to deal some real damage. Adelita quickly drew out her sword and the metal clashed. Ichigo didn't give up, he kept on trying until she was forced back onto the wall. Adelita's hands took a steady grip on the hilt trying to stop the blade from reaching her.

Then, at the worst possible moment, images and voices rushed through Adelita's head. Her eyes widened at it, unable to prevent her hands from shaking. The images flashed through her vision, blurred reality. The voices murmured inaudibly echoed in her ears, blocked out sounds.

Ichigo easily over powered her then weakened form. Her sword slipped through her shaky fingers and on to the floor with a clatter. The blade dug into her shoulder and continued with a diagonal slash. The pain brought her back to reality, the images and sounds stopped.

The gash ran from the deep wound on her shoulder all the way to her hip. The gash as a whole wasn't too deep, barely breaching the skin. It was the wound on her shoulder that was deep enough to scar. Adelita almost wanted to gag at the metallic taste entering her mouth and coughed the crimson liquid out almost as soon as it entered.

Her body began to fall to the ground all strength already leaving her body. Regret and guilt electrified her body, unable to stop herself. She wasn't ready to die, she didn't want to die. It was a terrifying thought, the thought of dying alone, the thought of breaking her promise.

Ichigo raised the blade above his head, ready to do the final blow. Before he could even contact her skin he heard the dull sound of Sonido as she disappeared. It was louder than Adelita's and slightly faster as far as he could tell.

He whipped his head around and off to the side a good 20 metres away was Adelita. She wasn't alone though. Holding her up in the air and supporting her back and knees was Ulquiorra. Adelita seemed just as surprised as Ichigo as her eyes were wide with surprise at his sudden appearance. She had placed a hand on Ulquiorra's chest as if to check he was really there.

"Ulquiorra…" Adelita whispered, looking up to him from her position in his arms.

"Stupid woman," Ulquiorra said coldly, he still hadn't even looked at her, "you're so reckless."

"Y-You're…" Ichigo stammered out, disbelief shook his eyes.

"It's been a while, Shinigami." Ulquiorra said, only tightening his grip on Adelita's body.

Then they all felt it, the disappearance of two vast reiatsu.

"Aaroniero-san… died." Adelita whispered.

"Rukia…?!" Ichigo gasped, his head twisted to the direction her reiatsu disappeared.

"So you aren't merely a child with only raw power. It seems that you also possess surprisingly decent senses." Ulquiorra said impassively.

"Y-You're Ulquiorra!" Ichigo exclaimed, unable to process the information.

"You seem to remember my name. However I don't recall ever relaying it to you." Ulquiorra said, "It doesn't matter. Kuchiki Rukia has died."

* * *

Apache awoke from her unconsciousness with a frown embedded in her features. She was lying comfortably on her stomach. Well, she _was _until she sat up on her knees; her arms were bunching of sheets beside her.

"That bastard…!" Apache yelled whilst punching the pillow where her head had previously been, "He fucking knocked me unconscious."

Apache put her hands atop of the sheets in front of her leaned more weight on her arms. She watched the blotches of water land on to his bed. She brought up one of her hands to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. Since she had balanced her weight on her arms she lost her balance in the process.

Apache was now lying on her side, her arms ungracefully in front of her. Tears still managed to escape her eyes. She gave up trying to stop them and just closed her eyes, the tears still seemingly endless.

"That shithead, I can't believe he made me cry…" Apache whispered, her voice was a little raspy. She curled up in a ball, her sobs only rose in volume. She could imagine how pathetic she looked, "I never was a pretty crier." Apache's eyes suddenly opened, but stayed in her position.

_Why the hell does that bastard fuck me in the first place? I'm not pretty like Adelita-san; my boobs aren't that big, so why in the name in whoever does he let his guard down around me? The only other girl he ever lets his guard down around is Adelita-san… But that's only because they're so close. So why…? _Apache thought, her thoughts running wild.

Apache quickly stood up from the bed and smoothed out her sleeping clothes. She wiped at her eyes once again and made sure that no more tears could get out. She walked to the door, questions still in her mind. She slid the door open and headed towards her own quarters.

She'd just have to ask him later.

* * *

"_Wait for me in your room, clean yourself up while you're there." Ulquiorra instructed. He had let her legs down but still kept an arm around her shoulders._

"_B-but Ulquiorra-!" Adelita protested._

"_I won't let anymore harm come to you." Ulquiorra whispered to her, "I never should have let you receive even this amount of injury."_

"_I-I…" Adelita mumbled, "It's my own fault."_

"_It doesn't matter." Ulquiorra told her, "I dislike repeating myself Adelita, I believe I've given you instructions."  
_

"_O-ok… Thank you, Ulquiorra." Adelita said slowly, only for her to gasp as she felt a familiar pair of lips make contact with the skin of her forehead above her hollow remanent, "W-what're you-"_

"_Go, Adelita." Ulquiorra ordered. The arm around her slipped down to the base of her spine and pushed her in the direction of the staircase._

"_O-okay!" Adelita said slightly shaken by the course of events, she disappeared with the dull sound of Sonido._

_During that period of time Ichigo had rushed to Nel's side, a flurry of 'Are you okay?' rushed out. When he had finished double, more like quadruple, checking that she was completely unharmed he had turned on his heel to face the direction Rukia's reiatsu had disappeared.

* * *

_

Adelita gingerly touched the spot on her forehead that had been kissed by Ulquiorra not too long ago with one hand. The other hand had produced the white light and proceeded to heal her wounds. The one across her front was easy enough and the one on her leg only took a little more effort. During the process she made sure, using the same reiatsu, to knit together her clothes as well, so her clothes didn't decide to fall apart. It was the one where Ichigo's Zanpakutou had directly slammed down into her shoulder that was the problem.

Adelita brought her hand touching her forehead to her side and started to pour more of her reiatsu into the wound. She felt the blood already starting to clot and the skin starting to knit back together. She would never admit to anyone of how she hated the feeling of her body healing at an advanced rate. It felt so unnatural and slightly numbing. Also for some unknown reason if she were to heal herself it hurt more than to heal others.

While Adelita was busy concentrating on the wound she suddenly bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" Adelita blurted out of habit, only to see Apache standing there, "Oh Apache-san!"

"Adelita-san?" Apache checked, her eyes drifted to the deep wound on Adelita's shoulder. Apache also saw the white light emanating from Adelita' fingers, the same light she had seen many times before, "What happened?"

Adelita brought her hands in front of her and started to wave them defensively, "Nothing, nothing at all. I just got into a little fight with one of the intruders." Adelita stopped waving her hands in front of her when her shoulder started to hurt again. Adelita brought back her hand to start healing her wound again. It was then when Adelita saw Apache's expression, "Is something wrong, Apache-san? You don't seem to be very Apache-y."

"It was that bastard." Apache mumbled.

Adelita could only giggle, "Are you talking about Grimm-chan?"

"Of course! That dick, he just ran off to go and fight with one of those intruders! He doesn't even give a shit that he might get bloody killed! I mean even Adelita-san got injured fighting one of them! I can't believe him!" Apache fumed, her voice reaching a whole new volume.

"If I didn't know Apache-san I would say you are _very_ worried about Grimm-chan." Adelita said, a cheerful smile on her face.

"I-I…" Apache said trying to maintain the usual confident air she had around herself. Adelita saw Apache's face just burst with red and could almost see the smoke puffing out of Apache's ears, "Now why would I worry about someone like that?! He's such an _impulsive_, _stupid_, _irrational_, _senseless, idiotic, careless-_"

"Apache-san you realise you just said a whole bunch of words that all basically mean the same thing." Adelita pointed out, letting a small giggle escape her lips.

"W-well that's because I want to prove my point. He just doesn't think is what I'm trying to say." Apache said, trying to sound as bold as usual.

"Apache-san," Adelita began as she placed a hand on the other girl's shoulders, "you need to know something." Adelita sighed slightly, "Grimm-chan isn't the only clueless one."

"The hell?! What is it?" Apache gasped, almost yelling right into Adelita's ear, "How can I be clueless?! I mean sure I have my blonde moments but still…" Apache blathered on, "I mean if I were truly clueless I would be dead on the battlefield right now! I know all I need to know about how to survive, fight, see when something's not right and stuff. What else do I need to know?"

"Apache-san, those aren't the only things you need to know. Sure, surviving is really important but there's something you missed." Adelita said, a sincere smile was placed on her face.

"What?!" Apache half-yelled in surprise, the loud voice causing Adelita to wince slightly from the loud voice.

"Your relationship." Adelita said blatantly.

"Oh, it's just my relation- WHAT?!" Apache gaped, her eyes almost as large as saucepans.

"Yup! Your relationship!" Adelita said cheerfully, a laugh following soon after, "There's something you don't see about your relationship with Grimm-chan."

"What don't I see?" Apache asked, Adelita could almost see the question mark above her head, "We kiss, grope, fuck, fight, occasionally talk… What else is there?"

"You missed out something," Adelita said simply, "the thing in between all of it."

"What?" Apache asked, the almost visible question mark spinning around in a slow circle.

"The fact that Grimm-chan cares for Apache-san and Apache-san cares about Grimm-chan!" Adelita said, a bright smile embedded on her face.

Apache's question mark that was almost visible popped as soon as the words were said. Apache's eyes widened further, if it was possible, and snapped to the floor. Her cheeks just suddenly 'puffed' a red colour and Adelita could almost see the smoke fuming out of her ears. Apache's gloved hands, which were at her side, fiddled with the seams of her shirt.

"Whaddya mean by that…?" Apache mumbled, her words seeming foreign to even her ears.

"Huh?" Adelita inquired stupidly, tilting her head to the side, "What did you say Apache-san?"

"Nothing!" Apache said suddenly. Apache's head snapped up but her eyes were still to the side and face had a think line of red across the middle of it painted on. Her mouth was set into weird smile that was open but still showed she was embarrassed. Small droplets of sweat rolling slowly down the side of her face.

"I swear I heard something…" Adelita said suspiciously only causing Apache to sweat drop.

"Can… Can you do something for me?" Apache stumbled out, still looking at the apparently interesting looking floor tile to the side.

"Sure." Adelita said almost as soon as the words were out of Apache's mouth.

"Could you slap that dickhead Grimmjow for me?" Apache said, her face still not its natural colour.

"You," Adelita said slowly as she waited for Apache to nod, "want me," Apache nodded once again, "to slap Grimm-chan…?"

"Yeah. That bastard left without even shoving his fucking tongue down my throat." Apache sighed exasperatedly, crossing her arms over her chest in a stubborn manner.

"Apache-san!" Adelita protested, "You can't expect me to slap Grimm-chan!"

"Sure you can." Apache said blatantly, blinking in confusion as if Adelita was being stupid for even asking, "You just you know whack him."

"Well, I can't slap him for _that _kind of reason." Adelita huffed while puffing out her cheeks.

"Come on _Adelita_, please?" Apache asked in feint innocence, going so far as to even drop the suffix she usually used.

"No I won't, no I mean I- wait a second!" Adelita began before her mind registered something, "Did you just you know call me Adelita? Like without any suffix?"

"Yeah, I guess." Apache brushed off, "So can you just slap him for me? It doesn't even have to be as hard as I usually slap him. You can just, I dunno, tap him on the cheek really hard?"

"Um… I think I _could _do it for you… Since you insist so much…" Adelita said slowly before changing her voice into a very serious one, "But one condition."

"What is it?" Apache said in slight shock. She wasn't used to have Adelita use such a low, serious kind of scary tone.

Adelita let out a bright smile and a small chuckle managed to escape, "You continue to call me Adelita and I get to call you Apa-chan!" When she saw Apache's expression change dramatically to one of disbelief she fell into a fit of laughter. She clutched her stopping and couldn't stop the few tears of laughter gathering at the corners of her eyes. She stopped for a while before wiping her eye and looking up to her friend, "I'm sorry. It's just that your face just changed so quickly and then it just-" Adelita couldn't even finish her sentence before her laughter took over once again.

Her laughter once again stopped after a few moments, Apache almost let out a grin. The girl seemed so innocent, childish, playful, clueless… but everyone knew she was anything but. No one in Las Noches that was still alive could be any of those things fully.

"So will you-" Apache began as her friend's laughter died down to a small smile.

"Don't worry, Apa-chan! I'll do it. I just won't like it very much." Adelita reassured.

"Thanks." Apache said simply, letting the familiar smirk work its way up to her face.

"Now run along, go wash your face." Adelita said in a semi-motherly fashion.

"What?" Apache asked, turning her head slightly so one of her ears was closer to Adelita.

"Unless you want every arrancar in Las Noches to know that Grimm-chan's lover, the confident Apa-chan, is a cry baby." Adelita informed with a small smile as she poked the skin just underneath one of Apache's eye.

Dried tears decorated the skin underneath Apache's eyes. Her eyes were slightly puffy and red vessels lined her eyes. All the signs showed she had cried and cried _hard_.

"Oh shit!" Apache swore, "Sorry Adelita but I have to go."

"Yeah I know." Adelita answered slowly as she watched her friend disappear.

"Ya always do this kinda things don't ya, Adelita-chan?" A sly voice whispered in Adelita's ear.

Adelita jumped a little but all the while smiled, knowing exactly who the person was.

"Hey Gin-senpai," Adelita greeted as she whirled around, her still loose hair whipping around her face and shoulders, "what brings you here?"

"I was checkin' out how my favourite little Adelita-chan was doin'." Gin commented nonchalantly.

"Gin-senpai," Adelita growled playfully, giving Gin a small look, "we both know you aren't here just for checking up on me."

"Aiya! Ya figured it out!" Gin gasped in fake shock, "I was wonderin' bout a little something."

"What is it?" Adelita asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I overheard yer conversation with Grimmjow's kitten. Ya seem to be more insightful than people make ya out ta be." Gin said carelessly.

"Grimm-chan and Apa-chan are both very important to me. Of course I am." Adelita replied simply, showing her usual smile.

"Seemed ta me that ya wanted ta say somthin' else ta the girl." Gin said, looking straight at Adelita. Even with his eyes closed Adelita knew he was giving her look.

"Not really, it was more like I was thinking it." Adelita answered, sighing, "The thing is that Grimm-chan and Apa-chan they don't realise how much they care for each other. They don't realise how scared they are of losing each other."

Silence befell them as if some sort of force wasn't allowing either to talk. Adelita fell into a strange trance thinking and thinking about what she had just said.

"They ain't the only ones." Gin said suddenly, breaking the silence and breaking Adelita out of her reverie.

"Huh?" Adelita asked.

"Almost everyone has someone they ain't gonna kill, someone they can't lose. Whether the feeling's mutual, that's another story." Gin answered, strangely the usual mocking not even hinted in his voice.

"Gin-senpai… Is the person you can't- is she…?" Adelita said, her sentence totally broken.

"Ya mean Ran-chan?" Gin interrupted, Adelita nodded her head top show he was correct, Gin tilted his head to the ceiling, memories of his times with his old childhood friend rushing into his head, "Ah… Ran-chan always used ta be so scared when I left in the middle of the night. Sometimes she'd even cry and then sometimes she'd hit me. She used ta tell me that she was so worried and scared that I wouldn't come back. She said she wouldn't be able to live without me." Gin ran a nonchalant hand through his hair before looking back at Adelita, "That's a totally different story now. She probably hates me now. I still don't think I could ever brin' myself to see her die though. I guess I never stopped carin'."

"Do you love her, Gin-senpai?" Adelita asked abruptly, Gin looked baffled by the question so Adelita continued, "You're a Shinigami, unlike us hollow you can actually love someone."

"I dunno how to answer that kinda question, Adelita-chan." Gin replied weirdly.

Something then caught Gin's eyes. His grin grew ever so wider and placed his hands precariously on Adelita's shoulders. He then turned her around to face the opposite direction. Sure enough Ulquiorra was walking along the hallway, hands buried in his pockets, the less than enthusiastic look on his face, still the same Ulquiorra. His clothes were just more than a little burnt and ripped…

"Yer lover boy is comin' now, though he doesn't seem ta realise he's walkin' around half naked…" Gin whispered in her ear making Adelita try and avoid looking at said half naked arrancar, "I better go. Keep what I told ya today a secret from Aizen-taichou, 'kay?" Gin disappeared with Shunpo as Adelita quickly whipped her head around.

She sighed and turned her head back to Ulquiorra, who was even closer than before. Barely a foot separated them and Adelita tried as best as she could to not look at him, trying to prevent any sort of blush trying to creep up to her cheeks. He took a single step further and Adelita could hear her breath being caught in her throat and feel the heat rushing to her cheeks.

"You're not looking at me." Ulquiorra stated simply.

"W-well you see you're kind of…" Adelita stuttered out, still looking at a spot on the floor. She placed one hand over her face in an attempt to hide her increasingly red blush and shakily raised the other to point at his bare chest, "How do I say this? Umm… It's just that you're shirt is sort of… ripped?"

Ulquiorra grabbed her wrist of the hand that was covering her face and gently pulled her arm away. As soon as he pulled her arm away he pulled her into him. One hand still holding on to her wrist whilst the other wrapped itself around her hips. Her other hand was squashed between their bodies, her palm in direct contact with his chest.

"I have noticed that my clothes have become torn. What I want to know is why you refuse to look at me." Ulquiorra said softly.

"It's the f-fact that you're clothes have b-been torn that I c-can't look!" Adelita stuttered, "Wait." Adelita said suddenly, her eyes widening with realisation, worry thick in her voice, "How did your clothes even get this damaged?" Then her palm felt a small scratch on his skin, "How did you get hurt?"

"A mere battle." Ulquiorra said blatantly as if it were nothing.

"B-but… I- _how _did something like this happen?" Adelita repeated as if Ulquiorra had somehow answered the wrong question, "I haven't seen you injured in _so_ long."

"A simple injury and a disarray of my clothes, this is nothing to be frantic about, Adelita. What happened to _you_?" Ulquiorra redirected.

"Nothing happened to me!" Adelita said quickly trying to cover herself up.

Ulquiorra tightened his grip on her hips and the other hand tightened ever so slightly, "Don't try to hide something from me. I know everything about you; I will not allow something like this to go unseen."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Adelita lied, a nervous smile plastered on her face.

"Don't try to lie; you know you could never getaway with lying to me." Ulquiorra scolded, his hold on her only tightening, "Why are you so worried over a mere scratch? What made you so frantic? Tell me, Adelita."

"It's nothing special. I don't want to burden you with anything." Adelita whispered, her smile a thing of the past.

"Anything you ask of me, could never be a burden." Ulquiorra said suddenly, his words burning into her ears, "Because you are important to me."

"Wha-?" Adelita gasped, her eyes widening.

"I dislike repeating myself Adelita. Now tell me what happened." Ulquiorra said sternly.

"It's not like anything bad happened," Adelita mumbled before raising her voice to a more coherent level, "it's just that I'm sort of thinking about something." Adelita closed her hand that was squeezed between their two bodies, careful to not cause Ulquiorra any pain from the open wound, "I'm afraid to lose you, Ulquiorra. I'm afraid that one day I won't be with you and then you'll never come back. What if that happens?" Adelita gazed up into Ulquiorra's eyes, as if she were staring straight into his soul.

"I've already promised that we would leave this world together, didn't I?" Ulquiorra said, his voice conveying his irritation, "How many times must I repeat myself?"

"You're mad, aren't you?" Adelita asked innocently, her expression slowly transforming into a pout.

"I'm not angry, irritated but not angry." Ulquiorra said, his arm sliding up from her hips to rest around her waist, "I cannot get angry at you."

"I'm sorry." Adelita said softly, "I just talked with Apa-chan and Gin-senpai and it just got me thinking that I… I just got afraid that I'll lose you."

"I'll stay by your side for as long as I live. Adelita, stop getting all these stupid 'what if's stuck in your head." Ulquiorra reminded.

"O-ok… I guess I was being stupid again." Adelita admitted unconvincingly, the fear of losing him still not completely gone.

"I'm not telling you it is wrong to fear the loss of someone. Most of us are afraid of losing someone. The fear of losing someone is nothing uncommon." Ulquiorra said impassively, "Even I fear of losing you."

"U-Ulquiorra!" Adelita exclaimed her cheeks rising to a whole new crimson, her voice quietened down to a small whisper, "Fear of losing, huh? I guess, I'll just have to live with it."

"We all must." Ulquiorra said finally, his arm dropping from her waist to his side.

Ulquiorra slid up his hand that captured her wrist and caught her hand. Intertwining his fingers intricately with her's he dropped their hands and started to walk.

"Let's go." Ulquiorra said simply.

"Where?" Adelita asked, clueless to the whole situation.

"Unless you would rather me walk around with my clothing half torn off my body I suggest we get to my room." Ulquiorra said obviously.

"Oh, right. That would make sense." Adelita laughed off, starting to walk off with Ulquiorra in the direction of his room. Then she noticed their tightly clasped hands, "Are we going to-?"

Adelita was cut off by the sharp pulling of her arm and the grip on her hand tightening.

The fear of losing someone occurred in almost everybody, even arrancar.

* * *

I'm so sorry!!! I wish I had updated earlier but you see I had actually planned to finish this before the holidays had ended. However school just _had _to start so I never got to finish. Also since school started I have like NO time (literally) but I got this down.

Thanks for all those quietly putting alerts and favourites and even more thanks to those LOUDLY reviewing. So those who are hiding in funky little corners can you please update? I don't care what it is just you know it could be a simple 'you updated' or it could even be one word or one syllable. Anything you want!

Gin's speech is hell of a lot annoying you know? I was just typing normal speech and I'm like 'oh shit' his speech isn't like that. But who liked the GinRan I squeezed in very discreetly? *sneaky, sneaky*

Next Chapter: Broken Promises (this was supposed to be this chappy but I decided against it, next chappy is the chappy I've been planning for a LONG time)

See ya next chappy,

Ai Angel


	8. Broken Promises

HEY!!! I apologise greatly and hope that you will forgive! Pretty please, with lots of cherries and caramel and onions? Okay, scrap the onion bit. Still… Please forgive me~! School has been hell (well actually not :P) and I've had my ballet concert so it was like TONNES of rehearsals. Haha! Also I've been having my own love problems that keep me up at night… So, I wake up in like the afternoon and find I have no time to write. Aww… So anyway, please enjoy this chappie! I've wanted to write this one for AGES! YAY! Though, I don't think you'll be very happy with what will happen… OKAY! I won't spoil anything else!

ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 8: Broken Promises

Rose clicked her tongue in annoyance as she saw Ulquiorra and Adelita walk down the hall, hand-in-hand. She glared at them with fury, hoping that looks _really _could kill. A scowl made its way onto her features as she watched them interact. Her anger only rose as she saw the smile on Adelita's face and the slightly less passive look on Ulquiorra's face.

"You know, if you stand there with that look on your face you're gonna get wrinkles…" An annoying, in her opinion, voice chimed in. It's carefree tone only making her anger bubble even further, "Hey, are you listening? Rose?"

Rose clenched and unclenched her fists, her face only showing more and more anger.

"If you don't answer, I'll tell _your _precious Ulqui that you're planning to clip his favourite butterfly's wings…" The voice whispered into her ear, the person's sadism surfacing in their voice. The owner was so close that their hair tickled her face.

"Shut up, Marcelo!" Rose yelled as she twirled to face his arrogant smile. Her face showed frustration at her partner's threat, "Don't you dare! I will never forgive you if you even _mention _it ever again."

"My, my… Rose, what's this? Why is my cold Rose suddenly so emotional?" Marcelo chucked.

"Me? You're saying _I'm_ different? Who's the one that changes his personality all the time? First you're all flirty with that _bitch _and then you act all passive and look _now_! You're a total sadist! I don't even know why the hell you're like this! And you're my bloody _other half!_" Rose shouted, confusion showing in her eyes.

"I don't choose to be like this, Rose. It's because of the very reason that I'm your _other half _that I am like this." Marcelo explained coolly, "However, I'll tell you this. While my personality _will _change, my feelings will remain the same." He chuckled, "Oh, and just for the record, I'll never _touch _you again if you ever _try _threatening me." A rather sadistic look made its way into his perfect burgundy eyes.

Marcelo held her chin, looking at her with piercing cold eyes. Rose didn't even try resisting as he claimed her lips with his. Their tongues immediately met in battle, fighting for dominance. Marcelo's eyes had shut a while ago but Rose's remained open, all their usual emotion faded.

Marcelo moved away, their lips still only a few breaths from each other. They panted slightly from the long, heated kiss. It was then that Marcelo whispered with heavy breath, "I love you… so, so much." He then proceeded to claim her lips once again, a passionate kiss once again ensuing.

"When you say, your feelings will never change," Rose said to him after they had parted once again, pushing away his hand holding her chin, "I hope it had nothing to do with that _joke _you just made. Our relationship is purely physical. It has always been and always will be." Rose said firmly, a sceptical look in her eyes, "Remember, Ulquiorra is the _only_ _one_ for me."

"Hmm… So, you actually had the discernment enough to not fall for that one. Why would I ever love someone _like you_? No man will _ever _fall in love with someone whose eyes are only set on another who will never look their way." Marcelo said coldly, his cruel smirk in place, "This relationship is the _closest thing _you'll ever get to a real relationship. And unlike a real relationship, I'm completely ready to abandon you. To leave you in dust and leave that empty pain in you, it will be _nothing_." He took her chin once again, "So enjoy this while you can. While you may have _no one _else willing to take you, I have _many _other girls ready to take me."

"What are you saying?!" Rose yelled at him pushing him away from her, "I will _never _allow you to abandon me! If you were ever to _try, _you know _exactly _what would happen! Leaving _me _would be like leaving your own _life_!"

"Think about it, Rose. Do I really need you?" Marcelo said before turning on his heel, his long jacket whipping behind him. He walked off, his smirk still in place.

As soon as he was gone, Rose fell to her knees. Tears rushed from her eyes. She lifted her hand to eyes, the moisture completely alien to her. This was the first time she had ever cried.

_What is this!? What is this pain!? Why the hell does only Marcelo have this kind of effect on me!? That dumbass! I hate him _so _much! Why do I feel so sad when he tells me he'll leave!? _Rose thought frustrated, she punched the wall to her side. _I hate this!

* * *

_

Marcelo made it to his room before he finally dropped his smirk and his eyes darkened with anguish. He leaned forward against one of his walls. He punched it, _hard_.

_Why the hell am I not allowed to show her my true side!? Why does my stupid body only allow me to be _whatever _I want to be!? _Marcelo thought, his mind rushing through a million things. _ I hate this!

* * *

_

Adelita sat in her room, rather stunned. Ulquiorra had just left her room, leaving her with nothing less than an embarrassed feeling her. He had grabbed one of her loose locks of hair and placed his lips gently on it. And before he had exited her room he caressed her cheek and kissed the other. All the while Adelita had sat there, staring into space with disbelief. She felt like a gold fish. As soon as he had left she hit herself in the head.

_I'm so stupid! So embarrassing! _Adelita thought.

Adelita shook her head furiously, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he hadn't seen the dumb look on her face. She felt the pink across her face before falling to the side, lying comfortably on the side of her bed. She giggled girlishly, something she hadn't done in a while, and held her cheek in contentment.

It had been a while since Adelita felt so special. She didn't know why, but strangely this time round Ulquiorra made her feel… _fuzzy_. Her eyes widened at the mere thought. She whacked herself over the head. Maybe she was trying to knock some sense into herself. Who knows?

Adelita sat up, fast as a lightning. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Two seconds ago she had felt like something was terribly wrong. She needed to check it out, the logical way. Adelita's eyes flicked open with a jolt. Her hands trembled in her lap. She bit her lip so that she wouldn't scream and her eyes literally _shook_.

"Grimmjow… What are you going to do with Orihime-san!?" Adelita whispered, worry making her voice sound as if she were scared.

* * *

Ulquiorra decided to finish off Grimmjow as soon as he felt Adelita's reiatsu moving at an incredible speed, most likely to come to where he was. That was before Grimmjow decided to take out Caja Negación and shove it in his hollow hole. Oh yes, how brilliant.

Just as Ulquiorra was about to be completely enveloped by it he saw Adelita arrive at the scene in the corner of his eye. She was panting slightly, probably because she had used up quite a bit of reiatsu during the course of the day. He knew she would be worried if he were trapped in Negación. That's why he muttered right before he was totally enveloped,

"Shit."

"Ulquiorra!" Adelita shouted, her breathing was staggering and distress was clear in her voice.

Adelita stared in shock at the scene that had just played out. She could barely believe her eyes and ears and pretty much every other sense she had. She shook her head trying to _somehow_ turn back time and make it _not happen_.

After a while she heard Grimmjow say Ulquiorra would break out of Negación in matter of hours. Perhaps she had missed out the talk when Aizen had told them that. Adelita balled up a fist in her chest, trying not to burst in her anger and frustration. Too bad that didn't work.

Within a split second, Adelita used Sonido to flash in front of Grimmjow. Barely giving him enough time to react to her appearance she drew back her fist and punched him _hard _on the cheek. It sent him flying. Literally.

Adelita heard Orihime gasp, from both shock and for breath. When Adelita had punched him while Grimmjow had been in the process of trying to convince Orihime to heal Ichigo, via choking her.

"What the hell was that for!?" Grimmjow yelled from the pile of rubble he was buried underneath. He had hit one of the stray towers and now left a huge crater in one of the walls.

Adelita didn't bother answering; only letting out an agitated 'hmph'. She crossed her arms across her chest and began to walk away. Leaving both Ichigo and Orihime in awe, they were rather surprised.

Before Adelita could get far though, Grimmjow used his own Sonido. He grasped her shoulder tightly and spun her around to make her face him. His face had his regular scowl but was now seething with anger. Adelita remained uncaring, her arms still crossed, her eyes looked bored and her mouth was set in an unamused firm line. Her expression made her look both pissed and disinterested at the same time. Her usually vibrant eyes were duller and she looked like she couldn't even look at him, she _wasn't _even looking at him.

"I'll ask again…" Grimmjow managed to growl, "What the hell was that for!?"

"Tch," Adelita sighed, "That was from Apa-chan…" Adelita thought for a second, "and me."

"I don't _care _who it was _from_, I want to know _why _you did that!" Grimmjow hissed. Usually he would've sworn his tongue off and called her all kinds of vulgar names, however he never swore at Adelita. He wasn't about to change the record now.

"Apa-chan wanted me to slap me but because I'm pissed at you I decided I wanted to punch you instead." Adelita said as if it were nothing.

"Apache…?" Grimmjow muttered under his breath, "I told her I would be fine."

"You really are stupid, you know that?" Adelita sighed, her hands dropped to her side and she finally looked him straight in the eye, "She didn't want you to go because she thought _you _were going to die! She believes you'll be fine!"Adelita swallowed thickly, hoping she'd be able to choke it out, "It's because today _she _might die! It was all a guise! She didn't want you to know that today might be the last day she sees you! She wanted a reason to hold you!"

* * *

"_Adelita-san…" Apache whispered to the girl next to her, "What would you do if you never saw your lover again? As in-"_

"…_if I died?" Adelita finished, she let out a giggle when she saw Apache's face. It showed she hit the target, "I guess I'd never want to let go of him… However, I'd keep it a secret. I wouldn't want them to try and stop my death. Especially if it meant I was endangering them." Adelita breathed slowly, "Is this about your mission?"_

"_Can you keep this a secret from Grimmjow?" Apache asked, Adelita opened her mouth but Apache beat her to it, "I want to try and stop him from doing anything stupid, you know before I leave… but… I know he'll be fine. He has you watching over him. It'll all be an act. I just want a reason to hold him. One last time…" _

"_Of course." Adelita said and gave her friend a loose hug, "Don't die, okay?"_

"_I don't think I can keep that promise."

* * *

_

Rose washed her face at least 3 times and she still thought it wasn't enough. She thought if she washed hard enough the redness would go away. However, the tears and redness were just increasing. The previous scene with Marcelo just kept playing in her head over and over again. It wouldn't get out.

She got out of her bathroom, fresh tear marks still on her face. She looked on her vanity; the crystallised rose was there, still the same, albeit there were two new cracks. She scowled and snatched it from the table top.

"It's all your fault!" Rose shouted at it, her tears continuously falling, "If you never existed, I wouldn't feel like this!" Her grip tightened and tightened on the crystal, "Ulquiorra would be _mine _and Marcelo wouldn't be barging into my head like this!"

With all her frustration, Rose didn't realise someone coming into her room. She didn't realise until said person came from behind and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other grasped her hand holding the crystal. The person gently pulled her fingers away from the crystal, bleeding cuts now present on her hand.

"You shouldn't do that. Not to your smooth hands at least." The person whispered in her ear. The crystal fell to the ground, forgotten. The person caressed her palm with their thumb.

"What do you want," Rose murmured softly, her face in a cute pout, "Marcelo…?"

"I didn't know you could make that kind of expression…" Marcelo whispered, completely ignoring her question, "Cute…"

"Shut up…" Rose said unassertively, "What personality now? Womaniser?"

"Wrong. Absolutely wrong." Marcelo said in an almost teasingly tone, "Affectionate."

"They're the same thing." Rose pointed out, tilting her head so she could see his face. She glared a bit and sent him _the look_.

"I wouldn't do this to just anybody, _Rose_." Marcelo teased, her name rolled off his tongue slowly and smoothly, "Just you, because you're my Rose."

"Stop it," Rose complained, she pushed softly against his chest, "stop teasing me… I know you don't love me. So, stop it!"

"Fine, fine." Marcelo said fed up, he let go of her and stood face-to-face with her as he put up his hands defensively, "I'll stop flirting with you."

Almost as soon as Marcelo let go of her, Rose crashed against his chest. She placed her hands on his chest and nuzzled his neck.

"I never said to let go of me!" Rose scolded, glaring at him, "As much as I want to be with Ulquiorra… Only you can hold me like this and I can be… happy…"

Marcelo smiled when he saw his partner's face turn bright red with embarrassment. This was the first time he had ever seen her turn red of embarrassment, most of the time she turned red in fury, something he didn't particularly look forward to. He wrapped his arms around her form, which was already clutching his.

"Don't you dare tell anyone I said that! I will send you into the reincarnation cycle ASAP if you do!" Rose yelled from her position.

"And now, the real Rose is back…" Marcelo grinned; it was fun to tease her.

"Shut up!" Rose shouted, pushing her head back to glare at him.

"Save your energy, Rose. After all, today is the day we clip Adelita's wings." Marcelo said coldly.

"Of course, it's finally the day that I can get the old Ulquiorra back." Rose said quietly, not looking Marcelo in the eye.

"It's not only for that purpose, remember?" Marcelo said whilst rubbing Rose's back, "It's for Sosuke-sama… That butterfly will never see the light of day for getting in Sosuke-sama's way." He motioned to the crystal on the ground, "Save that, for if we need it."

"I know, I know." Rose said exasperatedly, "Best case scenario, she stays dead and we don't have to use it."

"My, you seem rather… merciful?"Marcelo chuckled.

"I just don't like-" Rose began.

Marcelo lifted a finger to her lips and whispered, "I know… It's to do with your past, right?"

"We _Contra-__Espada _are the only forms of spiritual beings that can have a chance of remembering our pasts." Rose whispered slowly, "I can only remember the pain of seeing someone die twice. I don't know what or how or even _understand _the meaning but it makes me _sick_."

"I, too, remember flashes of my past, all I can remember is a love for writing though." Marcelo smiled a small smile, "Even now, I like to write whenever I get the time."

"That's stupid." Rose said blatantly.

"I know, don't rub it in." Marcelo and Rose laughed at his simple comment.

* * *

_Men and fighting… Seriously! _Adelita thought exasperatedly. _I can't believe them!_

Currently, Adelita was watching Ichigo and Grimmjow fight. In her opinion, it was absolutely ridiculous. Then again, most arrancar and hollow found her opinions absolutely stupid. After all, she was standing next to Orihime, her _captive_, and some child arrancar, that was helping a Shinigami, and _not _doing anything. Adelita didn't make a move to attack or even to recapture her captive. She didn't even move an inch to help Grimmjow in his battle against Ichigo.

Adelita clutched her middle tightly, afraid that if she let go she might just lose it. Ulquiorra was stuck in Negación, Apache might very well _die _and Grimmjow was just being stupid, well stupider than usual. Her three most important people to her were slipping through her grasp. She no longer knew what could be expected.

Adelita didn't even know if Grimmjow would make it out alive. Apache entrusted Adelita with Grimmjow's _life _and she didn't even know if she keep that simple vow. Nothing could be expected anymore. Ulquiorra was even away from her, she didn't know what to do anymore.

The reassuring words going back and forth between Nel and Orihime wafted to Adelita's ears. Adelita could see Nel's not-so-believing eyes and could see Orihime's hand trembling. Orihime was saying sweet nothings to Nel and Nel knew it. Orihime wasn't just trying to convince Nel, she was also trying to convince herself.

Adelita felt the urge to just smack them both over the heads. They were acting really stupid. If Orihime really wanted to comfort Nel, she should actually start believing what she was saying. If Nel was really scared and worried about Ichigo, she would _do _something about. Then again, the Nel Adelita knew and the current Nel were different.

"Just live with the outcome." Adelita purposely said louder, "You can't expect anything out of a battle. Anything can happen." Adelita bit her lip before continuing, "Support your comrades, give everything your all and maybe, just maybe, things will come out the way you want them."

"Adelita-san…" Orihime murmured, looking in Adelita's direction.

"Ade…" Nel whispered, "Lita…?"

"Nel-chan, you may not remember me now but… you used to call me that." Adelita smiled in the youngest girl's direction, "Li-ta-chan."

Adelita's eyes kept up with the battle with her eyes at relative ease. She was trying to keep track of how many injuries she would have heal later.

"Hey, Adelita-san…" Orihime called out softly, it caught Adelita's attention anyway, "When you said that… you've experienced a battle where the outcome was gravely different to what people thought… right?"

"I don't know." Adelita said whilst clutching the fabric of her shirt over her chest, "I just a have a feeling. You can't expect an outcome. You have to let it flow. I don't know why though… past life… or something, right?" Adelita laughed a little at her very ditsy answer, making Orihime give a very small, but sad, smile.

"Adelita-san, how can you laugh… and smile in such a sad situation? I don't know whether to be jealous of you… or to be angry at you… Jealous that you can be happy no matter what or be angry that you can smile at a time like this…" Orihime said gravely, her eyes were downcast.

"You don't have to do either." Adelita said simply, she held a small smile and looked up to the artificial sky, "I smile and laugh because a battlefield is a place of sadness. If I can show my smile to people, maybe it'll make the atmosphere lighter." Adelita giggled a little at her answer, "It's stupid, I don't even know why I think that. Maybe it has something to with my past life before. Who knows?"

"You think like a human, Adelita-san." Orihime said blatantly, her eyes dead serious as she stared right at Adelita.

"What are you talking about? Orihime-san, you're so funny!" Adelita quickly covered up, she fake laughed and tucked a non-existent hair behind her ear.

It was then that Orihime decided to shut up. She remembered their earlier talk. Adelita seems quick to deny that she is anything like a Shinigami or human. Whether it be about love or be about the way she thought. It was all so very strange, why did Adelita seem so against being unlike a hollow?

Nel, who hadn't participated in their conversation, clutched her aching head. That Espada, Adelita, had showed up before and Nel had felt a bit of familiarity but brushed it off. Now, however, after she heard the Espada's name she couldn't get Adelita out of her head. It really felt like she knew Adelita before. It hurt to try and remember.

"No!"

Nel snapped out of her reverie when she heard Adelita scream. It was so distressed, it almost sounded like a princess who was calling out to her prince. Adelita had her arm out, as if reaching for the battle.

"Grimmjow, you can't!" Adelita yelled as loud as she could, "Not here! Not now! Grimmjow!"

"Why don't you go and thop him yourthelf?" Nel asked innocently from her place on the ground, her lisp was clear in just one sentence.

"I can't," Adelita whispered raggedly, "it's not that I physically can't. It's just that he'll hate me if I interfere with his battle." Adelita took a deep breath, "And it's not that he might get killed, it's that he might just destroy this whole place!"

* * *

Stick thin white heels clacked on the floor of Las Noches. A small giggle accompanied the clicking of the heels, the hallway otherwise silent. A long white cloak covered the whole person, leaving nothing but their thin heels in sight. A hood covered the person's head completely, even so much as to cover their eyes. A shadowy figure suddenly appeared at the scene, as if the figure had come out of nowhere. The figure floated just above the ground, their feet only about 2cm just above the floor. The whole figure was an almost black colour, not yet black but tinted heavily with shadow, and slightly translucent. The figure was mostly shapeless, only leaving the slight outline of something that looked humanoid.

"Isn't this a bit too early, Krystal?" The figure groaned to the other person opposite them, it sounded as if it was taking a great amount of effort just to exist in the world, not to mention talk. The already faint outline was blurring, meaning the figure didn't have much time.

"Of course it isn't." Krystal answered confidently, their voice feminine, "You never know what could happen…" Krystal stepped towards the figure, lowering her, supposedly, voice to a murmur, "Enough of that…" Krystal raised her hand to what could've been the shadowy figure's cheek, revealing her hands to be covered with large white gloves, "You know that you can't stay in this world for long, it takes up too much effort. I don't need you to be weakened, just relax…"

"I won't." The figure protested firmly but softly before rough and raspy coughing occurred, wracking through their whole body. Their outline was no more and their whole existence was nothing more than an almost black completely shapeless blur in the world.

"Stop it!" Krystal shouted, "Just stop it! We are still incomplete! Just rest! I can't have you weakened!"

"That's all you care about…" The figure, not so much more, whispered roughly, "My power… It's all you want."

The figure was no more, their blur faded away. Krystal fell to the floor, feeling sudden weakness. She gripped her whole shaking body, crumpling the cloth that surrounded her body.

"Such an idiot…" Krystal whispered out shakily, "It's not that just. I just don't know what to say…"

Through the fingertips of her white gloves, thin pointed pink crystal-like protrusions pierced through the material of her gloves.

* * *

Ulquiorra stood in the middle of the endless blackness. No floor nor ceiling, no particular left nor right, no particular up or down. Nothing in this made any sense. One would think they were in an abyss, continually falling. However, Ulquiorra knew this was simply like he was suspended in a box. He sighed in exasperation, that _stupid _Grimmjow. _Now _who would make sure Adelita didn't do anything stupid in his absence? The fact that he was absent was enough, he knew, to make Adelita do something stupid.

He recalled that Negación was merely like an endless prison. Each arrancar that was sent to Negación would be trapped within their own aimless, endless prison cell. Ulquiorra knew that to get out Negación he simply had to exert a certain amount of reiatsu for an extended period of time. This would strain the walls of the "cell" he was placed in and eventually shatter them, allowing him back to Hueco Mundo.

He sighed once more; this was going to be a _long _day. He blamed it _all _on that _stupid _Grimmjow and hoped that his precious Adelita was alright.

* * *

Adelita stood there surprised as Ichigo stood in front of Orihime, Nel and herself. He donned a hollow mask, one she had only heard rumours of. He had protected them from Grimmjow's Gran Rey Cero .She couldn't help but feel as if her pride had been wounded, she had already put her usual shield in front of them but Ichigo being the _hero boy _he was, he just _had _to rescue them, more Orihime and Nel than herself, personally.

Ichigo then once more rushed off to battle after sending a few words to Orihime. Adelita could see the fear and panic that showed so easily on Orihime's face. Maybe for a human such a face was frightening. Adelita almost wanted to smile; she couldn't even begin to imagine the fear Orihime would have on her face if she saw Adelita's Resurección.

Adelita's reverie was broken by Grimmjow's cruel, loud laughter. She winced as she saw the look on Grimmjow's face, the sound erupting from his mouth hardly considered _sound_; it was just bellowing, painful _noise_. It almost felt like this wasn't Grimmjow there; it felt like it was someone else. Or maybe she just didn't know Grimmjow…

Adelita closed her eyes as she watched Grimmjow grind his fingers down his sword, she couldn't bear to watch as Grimmjow released his Resurección, she even went as far as to cover her ears. She couldn't believe it. How could _some human _cause the people around her to get so serious, serious enough to release their most powerful form? How could it be? She couldn't believe it…

* * *

Apache tried to act tough; she tried to act as if seeing Grimmjow fighting out there didn't bother her one bit. She tried to act like her usual tomboy, outspoken self with Sun-Sun and Mila Rose. However, she had a feeling Halibel had managed to see her concerned face and perhaps heard the worry in her voice. After all, when Halibel had said "…Don't worry about it." she seemed to have directed it especially to Apache.

Apache was the last to leave the wide balcony they had watched the fight from. Questions ran around her head, endlessly and aimlessly. Would he worry about her? Would he care if she died? How would he take her death? Many questions all basically meaning the same thing rushed up and down her mind.

_Did he care about her?_

Apache checked around the balcony to make sure no one was around. She checked below as well just to make sure. She pulled her white glove from her hand and kissed the back of her hand. She blew on it, as if blowing the kiss to Grimmjow. No one would know that that was the place that belonged solely to him. No one had even touched her hands, without gloves at least. He had been the one to personally _rip _them off and kiss her hands.

Apache clutched the glove in her hand before placing it on her hand once more. She wouldn't let _anybody _see her hands, much less touch or damage them. They belonged to him, so why would she let anyone even glimpse at such a treasure?

She then left the empty balcony, not giving Grimmjow a final glance. She knew if she did, she might just break down, she might just not leave. She couldn't…

_It almost feels like I'm doing something wrong… Like I'm breaking a silent promise we always had. Not that that bastard even cared about me… _Apache thought finally before leaving the balcony, her gloved hand gripped the archway. She squeezed her eyes tight and tightened her grip on the archway so much that she thought it would break. _I can't! I must go! I'm sorry, Grimmjow! _

Apache finally let go of any thoughts of Grimmjow that crowded her mind. A single drop of water escaped her now hardened eyes. She wiped it away effortlessly, trying to forget everything that was even _vaguely _him in her mind. _I'll forget all about him, he's never going to enter my mind again. When did I ever become so soft? When did I allow a man like him to control my life? I won't allow it! _ Apache's eyes hardened even further, emotion leaving without a trace. _My feelings will not distract me!

* * *

_

Adelita only opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her tense shoulders. She turned her head, her hands slowly moving from her ears. Orihime stood next to her, something _close to_ but _not yet_ a smile on her face.

"Didn't you say yourself that we should live with the outcome?" Orihime whispered softly, "Whoever you _think _is going to win isn't a concern, am I right? Anything can happen and the outcome is unchangeable…"

"I'm sorry, Orihime-san," Adelita said weakly, "This is one of my many sides that I would rather no one see. I feel so helpless, so useless!" Adelita suddenly burst out, "I don't want anyone to know how I can't deal with a situation like this!"

When nothing but silence was her reply, Adelita looked at Orihime. Orihime had a look of shock and disbelief displayed clearly on her face.

"…Is that really… Kurosaki-kun…?" Orihime whispered, unable to fully digest what she was saying.

Orihime was even more shaken when she saw the mask donned Ichigo rush in front of her, taking the full blow of the powerful missiles Grimmjow had sent. Despite the fact her shield was up, Ichigo still rushed to protect her, making Orihime even more shaken. She muttered his name and stared with fright at the transformed Ichigo.

Adelita felt Orihime's hand on her shoulder shaking tremendously. Before she knew it, Orihime's hand had flown off Adelita's shoulder and went to clench her own body. She was trying not to be scared but only shook more furiously, Adelita could see how tight Orihime was squeezing herself.

"M-Mathked Ichigo… got knocked down…" Nel stuttered, breaking the silence, "Even when he fought Dordonii-thama and Ulquiorra-thama… Ath long ath he had that mathk on, he definitely had the advantage… Mathked Ichigo was invincible… To thee Ichigo… getting beat up like thith…" Nel quickly stopped, seeing Orihime's trembling out of the corner of her eye, "C-C'mon, Ichigo!" Nel cheered nervously, she turned to Orihime to scold her.

Adelita almost wanted to laugh at the irony. Orihime was getting scolded from Nel, the Nel that was a child! Adelita smiled sadly, remembering all the times the older Nel she knew would scold her. It seemed so long ago…

"Don't die!"

Adelita whipped her head around to Orihime, the source of the distressed scream, her eyes were so tearful.

"Don't die!" Orihime shouted once again, "Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called out, her voice strained, "I don't care if you win or not… You don't have to keep going… just please don't… hurt yourself anymore than this…"

Tears seemed to escape Orihime's eyes, rolling down her cheeks in a flurry. That wasn't exactly Adelita's impression of a cheer and according to Nel's face, it wasn't her's either. Adelita almost really did giggle. She felt bad for wanting to laugh in such a situation, however in a battlefield or not, she never changed the way she felt. She was always still easy to tease, still easy to make smile and still easy to make laugh.

Adelita's eyes spun to the battlefield and she saw what she hoped would never happen. A waterfall of blood gushed around the two warriors, revealing a long bloodied battle, one in which both get fatally injured. What was worse, it was _Grimmjow's _blood. Adelita shook her head and took a few steps back, not believing her eyes.

"Grimmjow!" Adelita shouted, feeling all strength leave her legs, "Don't do this! I don't know if I can heal that level of injury!" Adelita covered her mouth, trying to deny that this was reality, "How am I supposed to keep my promise with Apa-chan!?"

Grimmjow wanted to smirk from his position on the battlefield; however he was too overcome with rage that he could only feel his anger boiling over. He grasped Ichigo's blade feeling his rage only getting stronger and stronger.

"What the hell… is this shit!?" Grimmjow swore, "You really… to beat me… with this…!?" Grimmjow felt his anger reaching its limit, "Me!? Of all people!?"

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Without a second's waste, Grimmjow plunged his clawed hand into Ichigo's stomach. He shouted at Ichigo with all his anger and rage, everything coming out in just a few short sentences. They continued to exchange blows until Ichigo said a sentence that just _ticked _Grimmjow off even more.

"Hah… what pisses you off…? When a mere human looks at you like an equal…!?"

Grimmjow simply swung his arm back before once again delivering a blow to Ichigo. He was really pissed off now.

"Whether you're a human, Shinigami or arrancar… Everyone who underestimates me with eyes like that… will be smashed to pieces!"

* * *

The cloaked figure knocked strongly on the tall white door, waiting a few moments before the door slid open. She walked in slowly, her heels clicking on the floor, the only noise. Aizen sat in his tall 'throne', resting his face in his palm.

"Are you all set, Ro- I mean Krystal?" Aizen asked, his usual amused smile on his face.

"Yes, I am, Sosuke-sama." Krystal said as she bowed.

Aizen chuckled, "I presume your tardiness is due to interference from the _other you_."

"Ah!" Krystal gasped, "Please forgive me, Sosuke-sama. However, it is not entirely his fault. Please, do not just blame him."

"Of course, when did I say that such an act was unforgivable?" Aizen smirked.

"I'll- um, I will go and wait in the prepared room." Krystal stumbled, her eyes showing anxiousness.

"Please do." Aizen said simply.

Krystal left the room unsteadily, never once looking back. Once she was outside the room, she let out a sigh of relief. She held her hand over her chest, expecting to feel a heartbeat. However, as expected, there was none. She brought her hand up, revealing the sharp claw-like crystals emerging from the fingertips of her white gloves, tearing the material.

A cringe formed on Krystal's face as she focused on her two hands, both her arms shaking violently. After a moment of pure concentration, the claws seemed to recede back into the glove. Krystal breathed heavily; she placed her gloved hands on top of her head. She pulled the hood further down her face, her profile further hidden.

"You really are weak!" A high-pitched voice giggled, "Right, Krystal? Or have you changed your name again?" The voice giggled again.

Krystal raised her head, heavy breaths still escaping her mouth. In front of her stood a young girl, maybe no older than 13. Her figure didn't look like it was her in the flesh, instead looking slightly transparent. She had piercing silver eyes, looking like they were staring into Krystal's soul. She had long raven black hair, styled in 2 high pony tails on either side of her head, bright purple ribbons adorning them. She wore a short purple and maroon dress that matched her ribbons perfectly, ruffles at the hem giving it a fuller look. Krystal could see the bright pink nail polish so professionally painted on her nails.

The girl cackled, her voice almost sounding musical, "Xer-chan could kill you in a second! Number 3 is really a weakling!"

"Leave me alone, you insolent child!" Krystal yelled, her voice full of rage.

"Child? Child?" The girl continued to laugh until she glared down at Krystal, "You dare call me a child? I am older than you; Sosuke-sama just gave me this stupid ability!"

"You are a child, Catarina Hinsdry!" Krystal shouted, "You're barely the size of a human child!"

Catarina simply looked down on Krystal before sending a powerful kick at Krystal. Krystal smashed into one of the walls, coughing up blood in the process.

"It is not within my ability to change this, Kry-st-al-san…" Catarina said looming over Krystal, she stressed the syllables of her name, "If it were up to me, I would be at the same body age as Xer-chan, but that can't be helped, now can it?" Catarina picked Krystal up by the collar of her hood, "Answer me, Krystal Rosario. You're not mute." The hood covering Krystal's face began to slip backwards, making Catarina cackle even more, "I haven't seen your ugly face in a while, bitch!" Krystal struggled in Catarina's vice-like grip, trying desperately to escape, "This will be so much fun! Seeing you suffer like this is going to be fun!" Catarina's cackle once again filled Krystal's ears. Catarina suddenly stopped before Krystal saw her face turn a bright shade of pink, "I guess I'll have to save this for later. Xer-chan is calling."

Without a further word of notice Catarina's body completely disappeared, dropping Krystal's body on the cold hard floor. Krystal felt her whole body shake; she grasped her arms tightly, feeling the fear and tenseness.

* * *

Adelita could barely feel herself breathe. She almost broke down crying on the spot when she saw Ichigo strike at Grimmjow and almost fainted when she saw Nnoitra deal what could be the final blow. Her breathing hitched almost immediately and she dived straight down from the tower. She landed gracefully on the sand, rushing to Grimmjow's aid. She barely gave herself enough time to think before she immediately tended to Grimmjow's wound. She didn't think about trying to exact revenge on Nnoitra and certainly didn't think about looking out for enemies.

"Hey, Adelita," Grimmjow called out from his position on the ground, his voice was small and raspy, "save your reiatsu. It's hopeless to try and heal me; I'm as good as dead."

"Don't say those kinds of things… Please, don't say those kinds of things." Adelita stuttered.

"Adel-"

"I beg of you! Please don't say those kinds of things…" Adelita stumbled; her arms were shaking with all her emotions, "I might really stop! I don't know what to do anymore! I can't break my promise with Apa-chan!"

"God dammit!" Grimmjow exclaimed exasperatedly, he grabbed Adelita's forearm, he could feel the rapid wracking, "Stop thinking about others! Think about yourself!"

Grimmjow waited a moment; no response erupted from Adelita's lips. Her hands were still on his wound, her healing still activated. Her eyes, however, were blank, completely lost. Her mouth was agape and he could see her lips trembling. He followed Adelita's eyes to what she was staring at. To be honest, he almost felt like having the same reaction that she did.

It was Nel.

The real one, the one Adelita knew, the one Adelita loved. Standing so close, the Nel Adelita laughed with, smiled with and spent so much time with, was fighting. He remembered Adelita's devastated face when she found out Nel was gone and he remembered her serene, relieved face when she found out Nel was fine.

Nel was no longer in the child-like body she had previously been in. She was the full, voluptuous woman she had been not too long ago. Grimmjow could see that Adelita could barely move, her eyes never once leaving her friend. From the look in her eyes, Grimmjow could tell she was about to cry.

After a few moments, Adelita's eyes left the battle, her head bowed down, bangs covering her violet eyes. Her whole body seemed to shaking, she bit her lip, trying to halt any tears. One slid down, landing quietly on Grimmjow's chest.

"I'm so happy. I'm so happy." Adelita said quietly, Grimmjow could see the small smile on her features, "It's Nel-chan! It's Nel-chan, Grimmjow!" Adelita lifted her head, he saw the tears welling in her eyes, her bright smile adorning her face, "She's back! Nel-chan's back!"

Grimmjow took a deep breath, relieved to see his friend overjoyed, before a look of surprise and fear enveloped his face, "Some fucker's right behind you!"

Adelita quickly whipped her head around, Krystal appearing before her. Krystal pointed her hand at Adelita and sharp claw-like crystals shot out from the fingers of her gloves. There was a large crash and sand flew everywhere. When the sand cleared, it revealed Adelita with her shield up. Her arms were out in front of herself, halting her healing of Grimmjow.

"So, you aren't completely useless…" Krystal said eerily, a cruel smile on her face, "But, it's just not good enough, Adelita Freed."

The crystals seemed to push more pressure on the shield, cracks forming quickly.

_Impossible! _ Adelita thought helplessly before her shield completely shattered, the claws elongating quickly towards her.

Adelita grabbed one of the claws by the stem, pushing it away from her. She fell back, the sand cushioning her fall. The claw she pushed away landed right beside her head, another barely grazing her cheek. The other three pinned her other arm and the rest of her body to the ground.

"As I thought, such an attack wouldn't kill you." Krystal noted, "However, this next one will."

Krystal held out her other hand, elongating one of the claws from her fingertips to only breach the glove material and emerge only a few inches. Krystal waved the long crystal around, taunting Adelita.

"Do you honestly think I'm totally defenceless? Puh-lease!" Adelita teased, she held out her finger, her violet cero once again ensuing. Krystal went flying, the claws breaking from her fingers, burns running across her cloak, "I'm really not as nice as people depict me to be." Adelita pulled the detached crystals from the ground, "Those who go out of their way to try and kill me, really make me want to kill them. After all, they are trying to make me break my promise."

Without a moment's hesitation Adelita threw the crystals in her hands at Krystal. Sand once again flew around but Adelita didn't waste a second. Using her Sonido she dashed into the cloud of sand and sent out a powerful kick, making contact with Krystal's stomach. Through the dust, Adelita was shocked at the spectacle in front of her

"You-!" Adelita gasped.

"So you can see through things like dust clouds…" Krystal cackled, she placed her hand on her chin, "What an interesting ability! Figured it out yet!? You really aren't the last _Contra-Espada_!"

"How could you do this to yourself!?" Adelita exclaimed, disbelief running through her eyes.

"Unlike someone, the rest of us _Contra _were never have contact with our _Contrapartida_. We were completely isolated! Our abilities were never completed! Only _you_, who were made last was able to have a complete existence! All of us had our bodies become almost completely taken over by our abilities! Two left and apart from us the rest of them died because of it! Our _Contrapartida _has never even seen us! You were the only one allowed because Sosuke-sama had _pity _upon you!" Krystal yelled, a calmer look soon appeared in her eyes, "However, that ends today. I'm taking back what is rightfully mine, even if he is _your_ _Contrapartida_. You're going to die today."

Krystal lifted her hood slightly, revealing her pure aqua eyes – no pupil in sight. They glowed ominously.

Adelita almost took a step backward. _Almost_.

Everything happened in a flash.

The dust cleared.

Krystal was gone.

Adelita lay on the ground.

Her blood pooled around her.

* * *

Ulquiorra emerged from the dark prison, a crack in reality letting him through. The one thing that was off though, he couldn't sense Adelita's reiatsu. He looked around frantically. He searched endlessly, trying to find where she was. It was then that he felt it. Her very faint reiatsu, it was fading so fast. One reiatsu so small could easily be mistaken for someone else's but it was Adelita's, he knew it. He was about to take off using Sonido to find her.

"I wouldn't try and get to her." A voice said suddenly. Ulquiorra turned his head, knowing where the source was. Krystal emerged with her cloak looking brand new, "Going there would only mean pain. She's about to die. There's no way to save her." Krystal looked down, trying to choke out the next sentence, "In the end, I was the one to kill her."

"What a pitiful explanation." Ulquiorra said emotionlessly, "Adelita… dead? The likes of you could never kill her."

"I wouldn't be so sure. She isn't as strong as you think." Krystal said arrogantly, sure she was correct, "What makes you think I'm weaker than her?"

"It is not whether she is weaker than you or not. However, Adelita's will is strong, she wouldn't break a promise." Ulquiorra said surely, he was sure as well.

"She just did. Don't you feel it? Just then, her reiatsu disappeared completely. She's gone." Krystal said firmly.

There was no warning. Ulquiorra simply fell to the ground. It was true, within the course of minutes; her reiatsu went from faint to gone.

"Adelita…" Ulquiorra whispered, his voice was strained with sadness.

"I can take away the pain, Ulquiorra." Krystal said softly, almost soothingly.

Ulquiorra looked at Krystal to send a deadly glare her way, "What would _you _understand? If what you said is the truth, you are the fool that took away Adelita away from me."

"That is within the truth. However, Adelita was contaminating you. She changed your fate. The way you were meant to be, she corrupted it. Sosuke-sama wished for this." Krystal explained calmly.

"I will not say something as ignorant as 'I don't believe you', however, I do wish to say what you have just said is beyond believable. It is not within my right to say whether it is correct or not, although, it _is_ within my right to kill you once you have taken away something precious from me and then going as far to insult her, though." Ulquiorra said analytically, he stood up, a cold look in his eyes, all the while glaring at Krystal, "Shortly after, I will take my own life, I will join Adelita. It's not kept perfectly but I will keep my end of the promise."

"I believe you are mistaken. I can take away the pain that is inside you. I can make you forget you ever knew Adelita. I _had _to kill her; this is the best offer that can be given to you. To forget all about her." Krystal said sincerely.

"Such a joke is not humorous." Ulquiorra said coldly, "I do not wish to forget such a woman. She has too strong a hold of me. To forget her would be an insult to her very being. I also do not wish to break another one of our promises." Ulquiorra's glare intensified, anger welling in his eyes, "Who dares insult my precious girl so much?"

Krystal pulled off her hood without hesitation. Her aqua eyes showed shame. Her mouth formed an unhappy frown.

It was Rose.

Rose was Krystal. Her long red hair flowed underneath the cloak and her eyes no longer had pupils, however it was unmistakeably her. Pink crystals outlined the lower lid of her eye and the lines continued to the back of her head, passing her ears. The line was jiggered, the crystals forming an unattractive shape. More crystals encased her lower neck and continued, however it couldn't be seen past her cloak.

"I am Rose. In this form I am better known as Krystal, however." Rose said shakily.

"I do not know who you are." Ulquiorra said blatantly.

"Of course you don't. After you met that stupid girl I was nothing but a distant memory! That's going to change though…" Rose said calmly, "Now, she'll be gone from your memory and it'll be all about _me_!"

"Such a foolish decision." Ulquiorra commented.

"I'll show you that it wasn't foolish! I'll show you how good this decision is!" Rose exclaimed, she raised her head, locking eye-to-eye contact with Ulquiorra, "I'll make you forget her and fall in love with me!"

Rose's eyes glowed, that same ominous glow as with Adelita.

Ulquiorra almost took a step forward. _Almost_.

_Wha-! _Ulquiorra thought in surprise.

Rose walked over to Ulquiorra, putting her hand on Ulquiorra's pale cheek. She almost relished in the feeling.

"It's been so long since I last touched you. I'm so glad I can get rid of that girl completely." Rose said contently, a smile brightening her features.

Ulquiorra could feel a drop of sweat roll down and the rising panic inside of him.

"Don't worry. This won't hurt. In fact this is going to take away the pain." Rose said sweetly.

Rose's body glowed, the glow slowly passing onto Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra felt every memory of the girl he loves pass by his eyes and disappear without a trace.

* * *

"_Ulquiorra-sama…"_

"_Y-you forgot about me. You didn't know who I was; you acted like I never existed. It was like you never met me." Adelita whispered, "I don't want to think about what life would be like if I hadn't met you. I don't want you forget about me…"_

"_I missed _you_."_

"_I don't want to keep on living knowing that you've died, Ulquiorra." _

"_It's just that her abilities… They're unique. She could probably heal Grimm-chan's arm, I can barely stop the bleeding… I'm just so useless."_

"_Can you just hold me for a little bit?"_

"_If it's that bad, you can have it."_

"_Maybe, just maybe it could be because they were for an ulterior motive. Maybe if we were to kiss just for the sake of kissing…"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Thank you, Ulquiorra."_

"_How did you get hurt?"_

"_I haven't seen you injured in _so_ long."_

"_You're mad, aren't you?"_

"_Ulquiorra!"

* * *

_

"I'm sorry, Adelita."

Then, the memories were all gone.

* * *

How did you like it??? I'm really sorry it took 4 and half years! Not really but whatever! Who hated the ending? Who knew Rose was Krystal? Who hates Rose? Better yet, who hates me? *hides*

You know it is **Black and White**'s birthday today? I wrote the first chapter this day last year! I'm super slow I know. But seriously, school is trying to kill me. Those keeping track of my other stories, I've already started writing the chappies so they should come out soon. A new fic is going to come out soon too. A Kuroshitsuji one. Please do not kill me, I was afraid I might lose inspiration so I had to post it. If I don't post I lose inspiration.

Review please! I tried out a new style so tell me what you think! Love you guys!

Also:

_Contra_: Anti, so basically _Contra-Espada _is like anti-Espada, so like the exact opposites.

_Contrapartida_: Counterpart.

Ai Angel

Next Chapter: The Butterfly (may change)


	9. The Butterfly

Hey people! I tried to get this out sooner than it did last time! Hope it turns out nice! School is still being a bitch but dance is more fun than ever! I hope you guys don't mind that I get like SUPER preoccupied by dance! I think you guys will like this chappie a lot better than the other one, I swear if I wasn't the one writing that one, I may have just cried! Haha, nah, but I still felt pretty evil after writing it so I hope you guys can enjoy this one!

By the way, most of this chapter will be in Adelita's POV, it's not really my style but it works out better if it's like this.

* * *

Chapter 9: The Butterfly

**Adelita's POV**

I could no longer hear Grimmjow's shouting and the sounds of battle. I could no longer hear, see or feel anything I had before. The pain from the battle I just had was numb, I could feel it, but it just didn't hurt.

I was sinking in a sea of darkness, the water around me strangely not drowning me. I was definitely moving downwards, slowly but surely. Is this what it felt to die? It felt rather boring. I couldn't really complain; it was a lot more peaceful than I anticipated.

I suddenly felt very sleepy, the water around me turning darker and darker. I started to close my eyes, the thought of falling asleep becoming more and more welcoming. If I could just close my eyes for a minute, maybe I'd feel better.

"What are you doing, Adel?"

I inched my eyes open to see a familiar face. Her long wavy hair was an enchanting purple and her eyes were a strict blue. Antennae were placed elegantly on her head, contrasting from the sour look on her face. Bright blue butterfly wings sprouted from her back. She wore ribbons on her body, on her wrists and ankles, enough to cover some of her decency, nothing more though. I don't know if it was my eyes failing on me, but she seemed to have a glow to her. A glowing white light seemed to surround her, giving her a holy atmosphere, something she was anything but.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Mari." I told her truthfully, "I'm dying."

"I can see that very clearly." Mari said rolling her eyes all the while, she ran a hand through her long hair, "Let me rephrase… do you have _any idea_ what dying means?"

"I'll be reincarnated."

"You are so dense!" Mari exclaimed, "I'll tell you the answer then! It _means_ that people are going to be sad that you died! It _means_ that you're breaking your promise to Ulquiorra! Do you get the hint!?"

"My promise to Ulquiorra… Maybe I should have thought of that before just going and dying on him, right?" I whispered and I could feel my consciousness slowly withering away.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me!" Mari shouted at me, she took a deep breath and calmed down a bit, "Listen, Adel, I like you, a lot. I'm not just trying to save you because I will die too. I'm doing this because you care about me and I care about you. You're the first _to _care about me, except maybe Murci but that's a different story." I could see her face turning red at the mention of his name, "_Aside_ from that, I won't let you die on me."

"What can you do though? You can't stop me from dying." I said with a faint smile, I could feel my regrets piling up one at a time.

"Yes, I can." Mari said with unusual calmness, "Have you wondered why you aren't _dead _yet? With wounds like those, you should already be dead, not _dying_. My abilities are keeping you alive, just barely though. You're reiatsu is so low, not even Ulquiorra will be able to tell you're alive."

"So, I'm on the _verge_ of death. That's not going to change much. I can't do much when I'm _about _to die."

"Don't get fussy on me." I smiled. Mari was still so fickle about these things, "I can save you. You just need the will to live."

"What do you mean? I want to live, I don't want to die." I told her quietly; even my voice was leaving me now.

"That's the problem, Adel. There's a difference between wanting to live and not wanting to die. Wanting to live means that you have a purpose to live for, something you yearn for in life. What do you need in life, Adel?"

"I need-"

Before I could fully string my sentence together I felt a sudden drop. I was falling and I was falling fast. The water around me seemed to have disappeared and I was now falling into some unknown depth. Mari wasted no time; she immediately dived down straight after me.

"Mari!"

"Don't waste any time! You're really dying now! If you don't hurry up you _will _die! Tell me! Tell me what you need to live on for!" Mari pressed on, trying to catch up to my fast falling speed. She was so close, I tried to outstretch my hand to wards her's. Only a few more inches…

"I want to be happy! I want to talk with my friends!" I paused for a moment, thinking what else there was I wanted to live for and then it hit me like an epiphany. "I want to be with Ulquiorra! I can't do all those things if I'm dead! I want to live to have all those things!" I shouted with the loudest voice I could muster. Her fingertips were just about to touch mine…

A white light bloomed between our fingertips. Am I going to die or am I going to live? Please, please let me live…

* * *

~Normal POV~

"Dammit! Adelita this better not be a fucking joke!" Grimmjow swore at her unmoving body. He had _limped_ all the way over to try and get to her and here she wasn't even breathing.

"Lita… chan?" Grimmjow quickly turned around at the voice, "Is that really, Lita-chan?"

Grimmjow wasn't so surprised when he saw the trembling form of Neliel. He didn't really give a fuck _how_ she was in her original form, but, he couldn't help but wonder _why_ she was back now. She had turned back into her puny child form a while ago.

"Tell me! Is that really Lita-chan!?" Nel burst out; he could see the fear and sadness welling in her body.

"What does it look like!?" Grimmjow growled menacingly, he couldn't help but scowl at the woman standing in front of him.

Nel finally fell to her knees, "She's grown so much… b-but… she's gone now."

"Don't spout stupid things." Grimmjow mumbled angrily, "She's not dead."

"What are you talking about?" Nel whimpered softly, he could almost hear the pitiful tears in her voice.

"Don't you fucking sense it!?" Grimmjow shouted, "Her reiatsu is still there! She's still bloody alive!"

* * *

"_**Ulquiorra, you really are such an incapable child." **_

Ulquiorra loathed that voice. It always bothered him when he didn't want it to. Here he was in the middle of battle with Kurosaki Ichigo and then it had to speak to him. How bothersome. He couldn't be distracted in the middle of battle.

"_**How cruel. I am not a thing. Surely, you've realised that I am of male gender."**_

Now, he was teasing him. That was really annoying.

"_**You must have realised, Ulquiorra. There's something missing. Care to guess?"**_

_I will not participate in your foolish mind games._

And now, he was. In the middle of battle, his Resurección decided to have a little chat. That insufferable bat always decided to do this at the worst of times. What really irked him was that both he and Murciélago shared many traits, their tone, personality… he really disliked that.

"_**Ignorant boy. When she reappears, perhaps then your senses will return as well."**_

Ulquiorra just ignored him, he knew he shouldn't because Murciélago would just annoy him later, but he was thoroughly irritated at him. He wasn't really planning to lose this battle. Getting distracted may just make it happen.

* * *

**Adelita's POV**

Am I dead? Or am I alive? Everything's black again, it's getting kind of old if you ask me. Ouch! My whole body hurts now! So, I'm either alive because I can feel pain or I'm dead because death is supposedly painful. I'm left with the same options… again.

"_What do you mean? I don't feel anything!"_

A voice! I can hear a voice! As crazy as that may sound, I swear it's not a voice in my head. It's from someone else. Who? It sounds so familiar but I can't put a face to the voice. Argh! Who is it?!

"_You're an idiot, Neliel!"_

Neliel? Nel-chan! It was Nel-chan! The real Nel-chan! She was back! I couldn't believe it! If only I could see her! I want to see her!

"_Ah! Grimmy, look! Her wounds! They're healing a little!"_

"_Don't call me 'Grimmy', damned woman or I'm gonna fucking blast you into the reincarnation cycle!"_

That was definitely Grimmjow! Oh my god! I can hear them. If only I could just see them! Dammit! If I'm dead I can't see them! Argh! Mari, weren't you supposed to bring me back to life?!

"_I'll call you 'Grimmy' if I like, Grimmy! More importantly, look! Her wounds, they're not as bad anymore! Maybe if we call out to her she'll wake up! Like in those fairytales!"_

I couldn't help but laugh. Here I was, stuck in between life and death and Nel-chan can make me laugh. I'm drowning in my own psyche and I'm laughing. I'm either going crazy now, or Nel-chan is simply magical.

"_That is the stupidest, crappiest excuse of a plan I've ever heard. And you've gotten your bloody fairytales wrong!"_

"_Oh, who cares? Lita-chan! I'm back and I wanna see you alive and well! Don't go and die! I'm sure Ulqui is really sad without you! You should go give him a kiss to apologise!"_

I could feel my cheeks warming up. Leave it up to Nel-chan make this kind reaction come out of me when I'm in this sort of situation. Then I felt a warm almost hot feeling pulsate through my body. It started in my chest before reverberating into the rest of my body. What was happening?

"See_, its working! Her reiatsu is getting bigger and bigger!"_

My reiatsu is rising? Does that mean that I'm coming back to life? My surroundings hardly gave me enough time to think about that before the edges of the darkness began to crumble. It was flaking away, bit by bit. The world of darkness was slowly becoming lighter and lighter. I pray, well maybe not pray, to whatever God is up there, please, let this mean I'm going to live…

* * *

~Normal POV~

_In the swarm of darkness, Mari stood alone. Her porcelain skin contrasted starkly against her surroundings, only making her lone figure more obvious. Her hair seemed to sway in a nonexistent breeze and her ribbons seemed to go with the flow as well. She felt slightly cold, her body barely being covered by the flimsy ribbons. _

"_Mari, what are you doing here?"_

_Mari turned her head slowly, knowing exactly who it was. Her wings seemed to sway as she turned her body, her antennae bobbing up and down on her head._

"_Murci." Mari replied quietly, as if trying to find her voice. Her usually confident eyes, glazed over by something, were gazing downwards._

_Murciélago stared at her figure, all of its grace and pride having left her. His bat wings elegantly sprouted from his back, matching his white horns that decorated his head. His dark green hair looked weird against his chalk white skin. His eyes showed endless depths of black, looking even weirder than his hair. His fingers looked more like claws than fingers and his feet held the same claw-like appearance. His legs were covered with black, covering anything that needn't be seen._

"_Tell me, Mari. What are you doing here? What are you doing in Ulquiorra's mind?"_

"_I-I… It's just…" Mari stuttered uncharacteristically, her eyes never looking up._

_Without a moment's notice Murciélago moved from his previous position, metres away, to right in front of her, their bodies were so close they were touching. Holding her waist with one arm, he used the other to lift up her chin, making her look straight into his eyes._

"_Look me in the eye, Mari," Murciélago whispered, "then tell me your answer."_

"_I-I knew something was wrong!" Mari finally exclaimed, "I felt something went wrong a while after Adel's reiatsu shrunk to unnoticeable," Mari's voice trembled, her whole body shaking, "b-but I didn't think it would be this bad! I didn't think all trace of Adel would be gone though!" Mari broke down, tears running from her eyes. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder, seeking refuge, "This place is so _cold_. It used to be filled with Adel to every corner and now it's all missing. Any essence of her, of emotion, of anything that she left him! It's all gone! Their promises and everything!"_

_Murciélago ran his hands up and down her back, his claws entangled with her purple tresses. Using one hand he lifted her head up once again and before long their lips met in a kiss. Sweet and powerful, his usual style._

"_Ulquiorra is an ignorant child and I strongly detest how much of him is similar to myself." Murciélago insulted, not really caring that it was _his_ wielder that he just insulted, "However, Adelita has a stronger hold of him than you think." Murciélago smirked at his purpled haired lover, "He may have temporarily let go of her, but soon enough he'll snap back to his senses. That imbecile and myself both share that trait, it's annoying." Murciélago paused before kissing her once more, "There's one woman that we both cannot let go of."_

_Murciélago went in for another kiss but Mari stopped him, placing both her hands on his lips, "If you're trying to flatter me," a smirk fell on her semi-innocent looking features, "then you're doing a very good job." Mari's hands made their way to his tangled mop of hair on his head and pulled him down into a kiss. Passionate and graceful, her usual style.

* * *

_

"What do you mean she's still alive!?" Rosed shouted angrily, she was obviously very furious about this new found discovery.

Marcelo glared back at her, "What do you think it means, Rose? It _means _that we didn't kill her properly. We have to release our Resurección."

Rosed huffed, she decided to return to her previous form but was dismayed to find out she would have to return back to her other state. Something she highly detested. Marcelo had once again changed personality, which annoyed the shit out of her. His new personality really sucked. He was argumentative, unaffectionate and totally _not_ cool.

"Well, whoopee!" Rose said sarcastically, getting more frustrated by the second, "Well, _you _aren't the one stuck in _this _stupid dimension looking like an absolute freak, are you? I can see why you aren't fazed!"

"I'm not fazed because it's no big deal. We killed her once, we can kill her again." Marcelo sighed, rolling his eyes at his short tempered partner, "Stop being such a brat."

"A _brat_, you say? A _brat_!?" Rose exclaimed, fed up and annoyed to no end, Rose snapped, "At least, I'm not the one with some sort of multiple personality disorder! How am _I _being the brat when you are clearly the one being annoying and stupid!?"

"You're being immature." Marcelo said simply, glaring at her.

"I am _not _being immature! I was wrong to think I didn't hate you! I really _do _hate you!" Rose yelled, not caring that she didn't really mean what she had just said, "You're never honest with your feelings and you always change! I never know which one is the _real _Marcelo! What's there to like about you!?"

"My, my… There seems to be some conflict within Number 3."

Rose knew that annoying voice anywhere, "Urgh! I'm fed up right now; I don't have time to play your games," Rose glared at the source of the voice, "Catarina."

Catarina smiled innocently at her, looking more like her age. She was having fun.

"I don't know what you're going on about, Krystal. Oh, is it Rose now?" Catarina gave Rose an evil look under her long eyelashes, the smile transforming into an eerie smirk, "How ridiculous, changing your name from this to releasing your Resurección." Catarina's smirk dropped as a thought entered her mind, "Are you still following Sosuke's commands?"

"Of course we are. We, Number 3, are loyal to Sosuke-sama, unlike Number 2 and Number 1," Marcelo spoke up, glaring at the young raven-haired girl, "Catarina Hinsdry, Xerxes Rossel."

"Pathetic failures…" Catarina mumbled before her eyes sparked up when another thought entered her mind, "Does that mean you guys had to go kill Della-chan?"

"If you're talking about Adelita Freed, then yes." Rose stated, only speaking half the truth.

"That's too bad… She was such a nice girl… that Ade-san." A new male voice entered.

"Ah! Xer-chan! I thought you were resting!" Catarina perked up.

A new male came into Rose's and Marcelo's view. He had messy burgundy hair that lay on his head. His eyes were silver matching Catarina's; however his seemed to hold a much more intense yet quiet aura to them. His skin was light but not pale, going well with his handsome features. He looked older than Catarina but younger than Rose and Marcelo, holding mature yet still immature features, looking only about 16 to 17 years of age. He wore a simple white long sleeve shirt and long black pants, nothing too extravagant.

"When I heard that Ade-san was killed, I didn't feel like resting anymore." Xerxes said fondly to Catarina, placing his hand affectionately on Catarina's head. In return she hugged his side, showing affection to him, unlike her usual persona. "Cata and I really liked Ade-san, if we were there now… we really would have no qualms about killing you two for it, right Cata?"

"Of course!" Catarina smiled up at him, he was so much taller than her, "Della-chan was so pretty and nice to me!" Catarina changed her gaze back to the pair, glaring intensely from behind her lashes, "I will never forgive you two for killing Della-chan while we were away!"

"What is up with this girl!?" Rose snapped, glaring at Catarina furiously, "Why does everyone adore her!? Aren't you two _pissed _that she got to meet her Contrapartida and we didn't!? All because Sosuke-sama had a little pity on her!?"

"Wrong! You're so wrong!" Catarina exclaimed, losing her temper at the red head, "Della-chan isn't like that! It's not because that bastard Sosuke had pity on her! That's just _your _way of making yourself feel better!"

"Is that so?" Marcelo cut in, "Please excuse our ignorance, however, that is what we perceived. I would rather live with our ignorance than to run off with our tails between our legs like you two did." Marcelo mocked, sending them both a cruel smirk.

Catarina looked taken aback but Xerxes looked unfazed, almost as if he was expecting such an answer, "Yes, I believe we did run off as you have stated," Xerxes countered calmly, "and they do say that ignorance is bliss. However, Ade-chan's meeting with Ulquiorra Cifer was not an act of pity from Aizen Sosuke."

"What you're saying makes no sense!" Rose burst out, "You guys say you care about her and you guys seem to know her so well! Then why did you just leave her here!? Why couldn't you just take her with you!? It would've saved me so much trouble!"

"We did!" Catarina shouted, her gaze lowered, "We wanted her to come with us… but…"

* * *

_Adelita laid on her bed, her blue tresses, that were much longer back then, sprawled out everywhere. She sighed and turned over onto her side, today was another lonely day, she wasn't allowed to meet up with Ulquiorra again until all of the experiments were done, it made her feel really lonely._

"_Della-chan!" Catarina called, entering her room without knocking. Catarina's hair was much shorter at that time, barely even brushing her shoulders._

"_Rina…" Adelita acknowledged, sitting up on her bed to look eye-to-eye to the younger girl. Catarina jumped on Adelita, wrapping her arms around Adelita's neck tightly. Past Catarina, Adelita could see Xerxes watching them, a smile on his boyish face; he looked so young back then._

"_Run away with us. Della-chan, Xer-chan and me! We'll run away together! Run away from this awful place…" Catarina whispered in Adelita's ear, startling her._

"_W-What do you mean?" Adelita stuttered, looking at Xerxes for answers._

"_I don't like this place. Xer-chan doesn't like this. _You _don't like this place." Catarina explained, tightening her grip on Adelita, "All they do is hurt us, experiment on us until we're '_complete_'… So let's run away from this horrible place!"_

"_Not to mention, they want us to meet up with our Contrapartida so that we can become more _stable_,_ _as they say. However, we all know that we will just die from it." Xerxes spoke up, looking straight into Adelita's eyes._

"_I-I… I don't like this place." Adelita answered, "I really don't like this place."_

"_So, let's go! Let's all live together! Even when the experiments aren't complete we can still survive and be stable, right Xer-chan?" Catarina said happily, she pulled away from Adelita slightly, looking at her straight in the eye._

"_But… I've already met him." Adelita said calmly, not able to look at Catarina straight in the eye._

"_Ade-san, who did you meet?" Xerxes asked, she could see the slight panic in his usually calm features._

"_My Contrapartida. I met him," Adelita spoke up, her voice slightly shaky, "I met him and I didn't die… I haven't been able to meet him since but he didn't reject me. I don't think I could run away with you guys…"_

"_Why? Why are you so reluctant?" Catarina asked, tears were welling in her eyes, "Aren't we friends!? Aren't we supposed to be like family!?"_

"_Rina, you _are _my little sister and I adore you." Adelita told her, wrapping her arms affectionately around Catarina's middle, "But Ulquiorra is very important to me. I knew him… when we were still just Hollow. He's special to me and I don't want to leave him again. I'm sorry, Rina, Xerxes."

* * *

_

"Do you know why only Number 1, Number 2, Number 3 and Number 4 are left?" Xerxes asked the pair seriously.

"The others died." Rose answered, the answer obviously disappointing both Catarina and Xerxes.

"Do you know _why _the others are all dead, you idiot?" Catarina asked impatiently, earning her a well charged glare from Rose.

"They were unstable because they were unable to meet their Contrapartida." Marcelo answered for her, "We were only barely tough enough to survive our instability."

"Partially yes, partially no." Xerxes said with a slight shake of his head.

"They died _because _they met their Contrapartida and their Contrapartida rejected them wholeheartedly." Catarina explained to the unknowing partners, "Whilst we may not be completely perfect, it was too risky to try and get us to meet our Contrapartida." Catarina's eyes downcast again, "Then Della-chan came. She is the only complete one because she and Ulquiorra Cifer know each other. He wouldn't reject her, she became complete."

"Contra-Espada are different in the way that whilst Espada are representatives of the reasons for death, we are the representatives of the reasons for life." Xerxes continued, "We are more human-like than other Hollows, that's the way we have been created." Xerxes took a deep breath, "The only two ways to become complete is to either live in acceptance and harmony with your Contrapartida or accept our human side and connect with the person we share our heart with, using the one emotion Hollows are forbidden to have."

"What are blabbering about, Catarina Hinsdry, Xerxes Rossel!?" Marcelo snapped, deterring away from his current persona.

"Cata and I, our hearts are connected, they are linked. We have become complete because we have accepted our human side and we love the person we are linked to. I love Cata and she loves me. That's why we are complete. Both of you have failed to complete either task."

* * *

**Adelita POV**

"Lita-chan! You're alive!"

If anyone had to ask me what being strangled feels like, I would refer back to this situation. Nel-chan was hugging me so tight I really think I am getting strangled. I don't mind though, I was strangling her back anyway.

"I'm so glad you're back to your original form, Nel-chan! How?" I asked curiously. I want to know how my best friend got back!

"I really don't know!" Nel-chan answered vaguely, like usual, "I got turned back into a kid and then suddenly I was back all of sudden! I don't know why!"

"That's just like you…" I said softly, all my strength still wasn't back, "Nel-chan maybe you don't want to hug me, I think I'm bleeding on you…"

"Oh my god!" Nel-chan exclaimed, she pulled away from me and saw that I was still bleeding quit a lot, not enough to die right this second but if I didn't do something I think I might die of blood loss, "Grimmy, what do we do!? Why didn't you tell us!?"

"Tell you _what_? That Adelita is still bleeding and that you shouldn't have this stupid reunion? I _already_ did but you squealing so bloody loud you didn't hear me." Grimmjow scowled, he looked really grumpy. Maybe I should apologise for almost dying later.

"Don't worry, Lita-chan! I know a good quick-fix!" Nel-chan said happily, she had _that _look on her face. Oh no! Please don't tell me…

Nel-chan stuck her finger down her throat and accurately vomited all over my wounds and clothes… and me. Kinda gross but I was thankful, now that she was grown up Nel-chan's vomit was really good at healing, I could feel the blood clotting and the wounds healing at a fast rate.

"Thanks Nel-chan…" I said with half a smile, "Thanks but… umm… What am I going to do with vomit all over me now?"

"It'll evaporate!" Nel-chan suggested, not a good idea.

"Then she'll stink like shit! Literally." Grimmjow cut in, he wasn't too happy with the idea either.

"Not like that, Grimmy you dummy!" Nel-chan exclaimed playfully. That name was actually kinda catchy; Grimmjow didn't look too pleased though…

"What did you just call me!?" Grimmjow growled, it sounded very feline if you ask me.

"Forget you, Grimmy!" Nel-chan insulted without skipping a beat. She didn't change a bit, I'm glad about that, "I _mean_ Lita-chan's abilities are kinda like Orihime's right? Then can't she just like heal it until it's all gone?"

"Um… Nel-chan… Orihime-san's abilities are rejection, mine are healing. I can't heal vomit 'til it disappears." I reminded her, I sweat dropped at my weird explanation.

"Just _try_!" Nel-chan urged. There really is no way out of this, at least not with Nel-chan around.

I looked at my vomit covered body and decided I might as well just try. I sighed and placed my hands over the vomit. My hand glowed with white light once again and figured if this didn't work I'm going to look like such a weirdo. Much to my surprise, it actually disappeared, the way Nel-chan had said it would. That's weird, I'm sure my abilities aren't rejection, I _know_ they are healing.

"Wow! Nel-chan, you were right!" I exclaimed excitedly, hugging my friend all the while. I pulled away from her and looked at Grimmjow, "Look, look, Grimmjow! It worked."

Before I knew what was happening, Grimmjow chucked his jacket flat on my face. It kinda smelt… really bad. Probably from the sweat from battle, I'll tell you rarely ever smelled very beautiful.

"Jeez, put some clothes on you stupid woman." Grimmjow mumbled, turning away from me, his face turning bright red. I looked down to see my clothes in an absolute mess, it was ripped _everywhere_ and it barely covered my body. It looked so immodest. I almost screamed in embarrassment, but that might not have been the best move. So I settled with trying to cover my body helplessly with my arms, my face turning the colour of a tomato – I presume.

"I need some clothes, this is _so_ embarrassing." I couldn't help but look away, this was so weird.

"Stop being ridiculous! You don't have time for that!" A strict voice cut in swiftly.

I looked up and Mari was standing in front of me once again. She looked really pissed, not a good sign.

"Get your _ass_ to Ulquiorra _right now_ or I really lose my temper with you." Mari threatened, she was definitely serious.

"Ulquiorra!?" I gasped, I only just registered what she just said, "What happened to him? Is he alright? Is he hurt!?"

I stood up faster than I should have, as soon as I was upright I felt like throwing up. I didn't care right now; I would puke out my organs for all I cared. All I cared about was Ulquiorra. I need to get to wherever he is! Mari is serious; I need to get to him quick.

"He should be fine, for now." Mari said with her eyes downcast, she placed her arm on my shoulder to help steady me, she could tell I was having some trouble there, "He's got an upper hand right now but his opponent is strong. I bet he's going to release Murci anytime now."

"He's going to release Murciélago!?" I rolled down in a barrel of coughs, I really wasn't fully recovered but that was the last thing on my mind and Mari could tell. She patted my back, calming down my coughing fit, "Is his opponent that good!? It's been so long since he released Murciélago! Take me to him!"

"There's one thing I should warn you about, Adel." Mari warned, I gulped, anxious about the answer, "His memories of you have been erased. The other Contra-Espada pair, Rose and Marcelo, have erased you from his memories. He doesn't know who you are. To him, you've never met."

"Then, I can finally repay my debt." I said with confidence.

"Adel, don't say it like that. Please don't say it like that." Mari said desperately, she placed both her hands on my shoulders, "I _know _you. You aren't doing this just because of the debt."

"I am and I'm not." I told her, "I care about Ulquiorra. He's the number one person who I care about." I smiled at Mari, "He's done so much for me. He's saved me, talked to me, cared about me, changed everything for me…" I hugged Mari, feeling the iciness of her skin, "It's finally my turn to save him. It doesn't matter if he's forgotten me; it'll be like the first time we met. But this time, _I'll_ be the one changing _his _life."

"Okay, let's go then." Mari said softly before lifting me off the ground and flying me to wherever Ulquiorra was.

I looked down at Grimmjow and Nel-chan. Grimmjow was definitely pissed but Nel-chan had tears in her eyes. I smiled down and at them until they were out of my sight. Nel-chan had waved at me and Grimmjow scowled but that was just his way of showing affection. Apa-chan was lucky to have a guy like that.

"Are you ready, Adel?" Mari asked me, she already knew the answer.

"I'm ready."

Mari had flown me all the way up until we hit the fake sky. There was large break in it, it showed that someone got out of Las Noches and went back into the natural environment of Hueco Mundo. This could mean only one thing; Ulquiorra really _did _have intentions to release Murciélago. I hope I'll get there in time. Please, whoever's up there make sure he's okay…

Mari dropped me off at a platform just out of Las Noches' fake sky. I swirled my head around trying to locate the battle. I found it; Ulquiorra was fighting that Ichigo again. I would've thought that since Ulquiorra overpowered him before, that this would've been a piece of cake for him. But, I saw him defeat Grimmjow; this man was not to be taken lightly.

"I hope you're prepared Adel because this is going to hurt you, physically and mentally." Mari whispered as she started to fade back into my mind.

"I know, I know and I'm prepared for it. I'm ready to take on all the pain in the world for him." I told her, looking her straight in her blue eyes.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now go steal him back from that bitch." Mari winked; her body was barely still in this dimension.

"That's mean, Mari. Saying she's a _witch _would've been better." I joked as she faded out of existence, I could hear her jovial laugh as she exited this dimension, it was actually quite a nice sound.

I took a deep breath and I used my Sonido to get myself to Ulquiorra faster than necessary. I could feel the aching pain in my still recovering body but I couldn't be bothered right now. When I arrived at the scene I got a shocked look from Ichigo and was barely acknowledged by Ulquiorra. He knew I was there though, he definitely knew. His muscles tensed ever so slightly when I first got here, I could feel it. It sounds weird, but I could. Ulquiorra… He released his Resurección, Murciélago. I could almost feel Murciélago looking at me through Ulquiorra, Mari and him had this connection. That connection helped connect me and Ulquiorra. Ichigo was wounded quite badly; Murciélago can do that to a person.

"Stop! Please stop!" I yelled in vain, hoping Ulquiorra might listen to me, "Ulquiorra Cifer! Do you know who I am!?"

That stopped him… for less than a second.

"Why would I need to know trash like you?" He asked me, still fighting Ichigo, who was clearly irking him.

"I know you, Ulquiorra!" I screamed, "We met when you were still a Vasto Lorde! I was your Fracción and we stayed in the same room!" I explained and I took a deep breath before shouting with all my might once again, "You're exactly 163cm tall and you weigh exactly 55 kilos! Despite popular belief your favourite colour is blue not black and you actually don't mind small animals!" I could feel my voice giving out on me but I didn't care, "You're bed has cyan sheets and your room is so neat it's unliveable!"

I looked up to him, their battle had stopped. This time for a few moments. He looked at me, staring straight into my eyes. The way his eyes looked at me showed that he didn't think I was some sort of stalker. That was a relief.

"Who are you?" He whispered and I could see him shaking with unsureness, "You seem…" He paused, as if searching his mind for the answer, "familiar."

"My name is Adelita Freed and I care about you so much!" I shouted wholeheartedly, I could feel the tears in my eyes.

Ichigo looked between the both of us, clearly confused by our predicament. He obviously deduced we were close from our other encounter and he could tell something was wrong from this.

"Oi, Ulquiorra." Ichigo called out to the unsure Espada, "Don't you remember her? I almost killed her and then you held her all close this." Ichigo mocked him, using bad imitations, but I could see his good intentions. Thank goodness he wasn't dumb.

"Argh, you bitch!" I heard a voice call out to me. It wasn't in a very nice way.

I turned around and I saw Rose and Marcelo, Rose was huffing and puffing like there was no tomorrow.

"Ulquiorra, don't worry about her. Don't you remember? It was _me _that was with you when you just turned into an arrancar, you don't need to listen to her. She's just playing mind games with you!" Rose shouted at Ulquiorra and all my effort just went down the drain, "Listen to me Ulquiorra; she doesn't exist in your world. I'm the only one you need!"

I gasped in disbelief as Rose took out a crystal rose. It was white and the crystal surrounding it was green. There seemed to be black lightning that swirled around the rose before stabbing it in the centre. A few petals lay disarray crystallised in the crystal, probably having dropped off when the main flower was impaled. Rose's eyes glowed aqua and locked onto the crystal rose and the rose glowed ominously. I looked up at Ulquiorra and I saw his eyes glow faintly before he began attacking Ichigo once again.

"What did you do to him!?" I yelled at Rose, unable to contain my emotions any longer.

"I merely took away his pain. When I killed you the only way to ease his pain would be to make him forget all about you." Rose said nonchalantly, running a hand through her carmine locks, "He was a little reluctant at first but he eventually subjected to me." Rose smiled cruelly, even letting out an evil laugh, "He's all mine! As long as I have this rose he is at least! I erased his memories and like a new born baby, I could create new ones! He may not care about me like he did you but he acknowledges me much more than he did before!" Rose glared at me through her long bangs, "You see I'm not complete like you are. He may actually start to experience some déjà vu. What I just did was make my hold of his erased memories even stronger! He continued fighting because you're presence is no longer worthy of his attention!"

"You… You…!" I could barely see through all my rage, I couldn't help but not be able to properly string a sentence together, "You _evil_, _ugly_, _insensitive_, _conniving_, _slutty bitch_!" I couldn't even tell how loud I was but I know I was definitely louder than before, "I hate you! What you've just done is _unforgivable_!" I thought I could handle this situation but after what I just found out I don't think I can be very rational about what I'm going to do, "You took Ulquiorra away from me for such a _selfish _reason!"

"You two say such similar things," Rose said calmly, I could see through her façade though. She had never been called so many insults by one person before, I could tell it hurt her, "he asked me why I took you away from him by killing you," Rose looked up to glare at me once more, her rage building up too, "_that really pisses me off_,_ whore_!_"_

"Now, _I'm_ the whore!?" I shout at her, "I'm not the one prancing around _erasing_ people from other people's memories for such a _stupid _and _self-centred _reason!" I couldn't contain it any longer, "_I'm going to kill you_!"

"Now how are you going to do that? You're pathetic and your empty threats are useless." Rose brushed off, she was still really angry though, I could see through her pitiful poker face.

I didn't think I would need to do this but I guess being safe would be a good idea, especially with an enemy like this. The next few words I uttered, I haven't uttered in a long time…

"Fly, Mariposa**(1)**."

* * *

Aah! Cliff hanger! I hate them too but I couldn't help it… Sorry!

I know it's shorter than usual but _at least _it's out earlier right? Teehee! Who liked this chapter? I kinda liked it! At Adelita is alive again right? You guys got to get a peek into what Adelita _really _is! Cool right? Also do you guys remember in the first chapter when Adelita said she could've left? Well, she was referring to how she could've left with Catarina and Xerxes but she didn't because of Ulquiorra! Ring any bells? Teehee!

Now to explain the whole Resureccion and mind thing. I kinda imagine that when the Hollow turns into an arrancar the arrancar and the Resureccion are separated. Also I think that they live in an inner world like Zanpakutou but it's more like the wielder's mind than an inner world. If you catch my weird imagination then that's good! Yay!

Also the Contra-Espada are called Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, Number 4 etc... because I wanted them to be a little different from the normal Espada. So, instead of numbers in Spanish they are just Number blah blah blah! Get it?

Review please! I tried really hard on this chapter! Lately I've been getting a bit of writer's block so I've been persevering a lot! I hope you guys enjoy this! Thanks! :D

Ai Angel

Next Chapter: Blood Ribbon (may change) This title (if it doesn't change) has a deeper meaning. Can anyone guess? Teehee! I'm evil!

**(1)**: Butterfly


	10. Blood Ribbon

Yeah, I'm pretty evil. Left you guys on a cliff hanger and haven't update in a while -.-". Sorry. But after I got back into school I've been pretty busy. Sorry. And I just got my casting so I'm going to be pretty busy. Try and update as much as possible, okay? Haha.

The descriptions of the Resurección might be a bit hard to understand but bare with me please .

* * *

Chapter 10: Blood Ribbon

Two simple words. Adelita said two simple words. They seemed cold and dead on her tongue. When was the last time she had even uttered them? It seemed so long ago. What she had to do was all too fresh in her mind. She sighed. It had been too long.

Her long sword glimmered in her hand, shining in the moonlight. It even shined as she stabbed it through her abdomen, the unstained metal sprouting from her back. She let out a small smile as she heard the multiple gasps of surprise. Her sword disappeared in a flurry of butterflies made of white light. They enveloped her body, hiding it from view.

As the butterflies dispersed the first thing that came into view were wings. White butterfly wings. Violet and indigo decorated them like stained glass, creating a glowing effect. Next were white clad arms. The white sleeves left her fingers out to the open but threaded her thumbs through a small hole in it. Black lines in a vein-like pattern continued up her arm, resembling her wings.

Her feet were bare. Only two white bangles and a black ribbon tied in a bow hung on her left ankle. They clattered together in an almost musical noise. A white transparent material trailed behind her, flooding onto the ground, flowing from the back of the white belt wrapped around her hips. Skin-tight black shorts clung to her upper things, leaving the rest of her legs in view.

A white ring made of hollow mask stuck to her waist. The triple moon from her hollow mask relocated in the centre of the ring. Two dark blue crescent moons encircled her belly button, facing each other almost in harmony. Her bodice was covered by a black turtle neck, one that only went far enough to cover her breasts. A single white line ran down the middle of her turtle neck, the two colours contrasting. Her white sleeves connected to her shirt, the veins seemingly flowing into the sea of black.

Her face was the last to emerge. The same purple eyes, holding the same determination. Her hair had grown longer. Now, touching the base of her spine. The upside down green tear mark was now indigo and had now duplicated, appearing beneath both eyes. Her hollow mask was almost the same. No triple moon was there now though. Instead it seemed to white antennae made of the same bone like material sprouted from her mask. They glided over her head, reaching over her head and going down until the base of her neck.

She looked pretty. _Beautiful _even.

Rose gritted her teeth. Why? Why did Adelita get to look so amazing when she used her Resurección? Why did Rose have to look like a freak? It was too _unfair_.

"I'm going to kill you." Rose said calmly, "I'm going to _decapitate _you. And you know the best part? Ulquiorra won't even care."

"It doesn't matter to me." Adelita answered, she sounded so mature, "It doesn't matter whether Ulquiorra cares or not. If I can save him, that's enough for me."

"_Save _him? He doesn't _need _saving. If there was anything or anyone he needed saving from it was from you!" Rose growled, "You _ruined _him. Without you, he'd have been Sosuke-sama's perfect soldier!" Rose was practically spitting out her words, hatred spilling from them, "Deprived of emotion, deprived of any illogical thoughts and feelings… It was _you _that changed him! After he became an arrancar he was _built _like that! Then you came along and Sosuke-sama's perfect soldier became flawed!"

"_Perfect soldier_? Ulquiorra was never the _perfect soldier_. Wasn't it Aizen and you guys that _ruined _him?" Adelita could control herself better now, but Rose was making her hardly able to breathe a calm breath, "He was _always _like that. When he was a hollow he was like that. He was _fine _that way. Why must you always take him away from me!"

"He wasn't yours to begin with!" Rose interrupted, angered by Adelita's words.

"He isn't _mine_! He isn't _yours_! He isn't _Aizen's_! He isn't _anyone's_! But when we were hollow he told me… he told me he'd be with me forever! Even now… even now he told me we could be together even in death!" Adelita would remember their promises forever. Rose could try all she liked to erase her memories but Adelita would never forget their promises.

"Erase, Rosario Cristalino **(1)**." Rose muttered, she couldn't stand it anymore. Rose grabbed the silent Marcelo by his collar, "Don't take this seriously."

"I never do. It's you that takes it to heart."

"I don't."

Rose smashed her lips against Marcelo's. Considering Adelita's Resurección required her to stab herself, having to kiss someone was no big deal to her. When Marcelo's body melted to a black mist, that definitely surprised her. The mist surrounded Rose before completely hiding her from sight. Not a moment passed before the mist dispersed, almost too quickly, in a sudden explosion.

Rose looked so _different_. Pink crystals adorned her skin, in ugly shapes and in disfigured formations. A strapless bone like plate encased her upper body, from her chest to just above her belly button. At the bottom of was a pink crystal in a diamond on its side, giving her top an irregular cutting at the bottom. A diamond shaped pink crystal was seen in the centre of chest, possibly one of the only things that looked regularly shaped. Green vines with pink crystal thorns formed a cross on her chest, looking almost pretty.

A line of pink crystals on her hips were a belt, all of them jagged and misaligned. Her pants looked to be made of the same hollow mask material as her top, reaching her knees. Pink crystals acted as make shift knee guards, almost. Attached to the sides of her belt were two green vines that dangled down to her knees where two pink dagger-like crystals were connected, almost menacing.

On her belly button was an almost flattened rose. Was that her hollow mask? It looked like it. Few petals were astray on her abdomen and a stem of thorns wound itself around her waist.

Her lower arms seemed to be guarded by hollow mask material, from below her elbow to the back of her hand. A diamond at the centre of her arm guards took majority of the space, giving it a fuller look.

Stick thin stilettos were worn on her feet. It was a wonder she could balance as the heels looked like they were brittle bones, ready to break at any point.

Her hands. Her hands weren't hands. They were _claws_. The same pink crystal from all over her body were what her _claws _were made of. They looked so unladylike, so unglamorous. In her arrancar form she held that air of grace, that air of beauty. With hands like those, it almost completely distorted her image.

Then came the only part of her looked stunning. Her hair. Her ruby red hair was gorgeous. It had its usual shine and was embellished beautifully with _perfectly_ formed pink crystals at the end of each plait. Adelita had to admit, Rose's tresses were something to envy. Even with her Resurección creating such a disfigured image of her, her long locks cascading down her back were almost worth it.

"Now, do you understand my pain? _Our _pain? The pain we had to endure because we weren't complete? Do you even _begin _to see all the hardship we had to go through because of it?" Rose spat out, venom almost leaking from her words.

"No." Adelita answered simply, "Just by looking at you… I could never understand. I could never see. Pain isn't something seen at first glance." Was it her Resurección? "It must be explored thoroughly." What was making her so mature and wise? "How would you ever understand even that? You assume everything at it is at first sight. What do you expect to see?"

Rose couldn't believe it. Could the clingy, worrisome, useless arrancar she saw before be the same one standing before her eyes? The same one speaking those words? Or perhaps she had always been like this and Rose had never acknowledged it. No. No! She wouldn't believe the words Adelita was spouting. Never.

"You piss me off. That's all I'm going to say." Rose commented blankly, pink glowed at her fingertips, "Hoja Rosa **(2)**." The pink engulfed her left arm before solidifying, creating a sword not unlike Halibel's. However, instead of looking more like a shark tooth, it resembled a rose's thorn.

Rose charged at Adelita, silently and quickly, not letting out a battle cry. A tinted blue javelin appeared in Adelita's hand, looking almost identical to Ulquiorra's.

Spear met sword. Purple met aqua. Blue met red. Butterfly met crystal. It was almost melodic. Was this fight destined? It seemed like it.

"Cinta Cero."

The words seemed to slip out of Adelita's mouth too smoothly. Adelita held out her arm at Rose, the black veins thrusting from out of the sleeve, becoming thin streamline violet cero as they extended out, charging at Rose. Rose jumped back, dodging the violent tendrils. The flailing purple extensions hit debris as they rushed at Rose, disintegrating anything they hit.

"Cristalizar **(3)**." Rose whispered, holding out her hand at one of the cero. As soon as the cero came in contact with her hand it crystallised, the cero slowly turning into a pink crystal. Adelita broke her connection with the certain cero before the crystal could reach her arm. The rest of her cero retracted back into her sleeve, returning back to its harmless pattern state.

The javelin in Adelita's hand was quickly flung at Rose, along with many more that had multiplied in her hands. Dust flew as the javelins landed, some at Rose's feet. The rest were in Rose's hands, crystallised. She had caught them flawlessly, her claws wrapped tightly around each javelin.

"Not bad."

"You haven't even seen the half of it." Rose's smile was barely noticeable.

"That's good… 'cause I haven't even shown a _third _of it." The smile disappeared in a moment.

"Then try this on for size." Rose stuck out her hand, a purple and blue rose entrapped by a white crystal. It was the same one. The same one Rose had continued to hold onto.

"What? You going to throw _flowers _at me?" Adelita's mouth was running on its own. Was it Mariposa? Was she trying to smartass the woman standing in front of them? Most likely.

"No." Rose's lips turned upwards, "It's much, much worse than that."

Claws dug into the crystal, crushing it. As pieces of crystal flew about a searing pain raced into Adelita's head. Voices, words, images… It was all racing, rushing, speeding into her head. Her legs gave way, not being able to support her head that was now weighing more than her entire body. Everything was burning, her head wouldn't stop hurting, it was so painful. It was so much more painful than the times before. But slowly, slowly, things almost seemed like a puzzle. Some of it seemed like it was beginning to make some sense, like the pieces coming together to form some sort of sense.

When all the crystal was crushed Rose took her time carefully tearing out every petal of the colourful rose. And suddenly the pain duplicated in her chest. Pain was raging from her head to her chest. What was it? It hurt so much. What was it past the pain? Why did her cheeks feel so warm? Why did her chest feel so fluttery? What was this feeling?

Adelita suddenly felt Rose pull on her hair, lifting her head up by its roots, "Have fun in _mente alucinación_ **(4)**, _la mundo de la retención _**(5)**." One of Rose's hands shot out, clutching Adelita's face with one sharp claw, making sure their eyes made contact. When Rose's eyes began to glow Adelita immediately shut her eyes, one of the only bodily functions in her control, "It's no use." Rose raked her claw through Adelita's hair before giving it one powerful yank, Adelita's eyes flying open from the pain.

Then she was trapped.

* * *

The mirror must be lying. Catarina redid her hair once more. The twin tails not quite sitting right. Just as she was ready to rip her own hair off her head two light coloured hands did them up perfectly. The same hands touched her shoulders, giving her the assurance she was waiting for. The fact she could barely even place two mounds of hair properly on her head proved she was just as nervous as he was.

"Xer-chan…" Catarina whispered, "I don't want to go back."

She didn't want to leave this place. She didn't want to leave their kingdom. She was the princess and he was her knight.

"Neither do I, but we must. Ade-san is waiting."

"I know, I know. She can be saved. _I _can save her." She was still reluctant. That place was too terrifying. "Hey, Xer-chan… Do you think she'll come back with us? Do you think she'll come back to our kingdom with us?"

"I don't know, Cata. I honestly don't know." He was lying. He was such a good liar. The gentle look in his face not moving at all he told the simple lie.

"I hope she does. I miss her. I miss her warmth." Catarina leaned into Xerxes, her smaller fame fitting into his larger one.

She wouldn't be coming back. Definitely not. She was going somewhere else. She didn't want to cause anymore pain. She was going somewhere to give those she cared about new opportunities. The path she chose is a lonely one.

No one could follow her.

Not even her Contrapartida.

Not even Ulquiorra

* * *

"I… Where am I?"

Everything was dark. Everything hurt.

"Welcome, Adelita Freed. Welcome to our world. To the world of _retention_."

"Marcelo Casagrande."

The dark world lit up. The floor blue and purple. The walls white. The ceiling black. Marcelo stood in front of her, swirled pattern of hollow mask on the base of his spine. His eyes were amber and the whites of his eyes were black. His hair looked almost white and his attire black.

"Where am I?"

"This is the world of retention. My world. Rose's world. _Our _world."

"Why did you two bring me here? What's the purpose of this world?"

"Take a look."

With a snap of his fingers, the walls disappeared. Replaced by a view of where their battle had just taken place. Rose stood up, eyes now following the battle of Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

"Watch this battle unfold. The purpose of this world is this. You cannot escape. Nor can you turn away. Is this an illusion? Or is this reality? Watch as the scene plays out and be helpless. This is the greatest regret anyone can have. Continue living… continue to remember how you could not sacrifice yourself to save your precious people. Remember how you retained life whilst others lost theirs."

"Your aspect in life… Number 3… Retention." Adelita whispered.

"The most painful aspect of life. Retaining life whilst others around you disappeared one by one. Do you have any idea how that feels!" Marcelo's temper was lost within a moment, "I must retain my feelings… my personality! Rose must retain what she truly wants! Both of us… both of us are born with such painful ideas of life!"

"Do either of you realise how painful it is to live without anything to believe in?" Adelita interrupted sharply, "Do _you _have any idea how dark and cold a world without anything to have faith in is? _And _do you know how scary a world is where believing in something too easily is dangerous?" Adelita could feel her knuckles going white from clenching her fists so tightly, "This world gave me people to trust in but the fear of not being able to have faith… it's too terrifying."

"Number 4… Faith."

* * *

The fear of losing a comrade in battle is quite strong. Especially in someone like Coyote Stark. Being alone for so long… it made that fear especially strong.

Tia.

She was almost like his world. A fallen angel in shark's clothing. Her olive skin, her bright hair, her green eyes… They all made his chest swirl and thump. All those lonely nights… all those lonely days… all those lonely times… She was there at his side, ready to give him the companionship he longed for. Lilynette was always around him true. But Tia was different. She gave him a fulfilment of different sorts. And not just sexually.

The night when their hollow masks disappeared for just one night was burned into his memories. The way her lips felt on his, the way her chest felt on his… it was all new and it was all so perfect. When did such a warm feeling exist within them? Didn't they always drown in their own darkness? Didn't they always enjoy the cold feeling that chilled through their bodies? Why did that warmth give them so much more?

Perhaps it was love.

Perhaps it wasn't.

So, when he saw her body encased in ice, his muscles tensed so minutely. When would Wonderweiss arrive? When would that speech impaired arrancar show up and free her from that ice? He couldn't stop the battle in front of him to save her. Someone else needed to do it. Someone else needed to save his lover.

Tia… Tia… Tia…

He was never the type to be a hero.

But just this once…

Just this once he wanted to be her's.

* * *

"Why is she just standing there! Ulquiorra is going to die!" Adelita's voice sounded strained, sounded hurt, sounded worried.

"I told you, didn't I? Rose must retain what she truly wants! She must follow Sosuke-sama's orders. Sosuke-sama doesn't care about a ruined soldier like Ulquiorra. He told her to just let him die if he'll be defeated." Marcelo seethed, "Her pain… I can feel it. Her pain of not being able to have what she truly wants… It's the reason I can never show her my true side! Her pain, her agony… it all transfers to _me_!"

"You two…" Adelita whispered, "Do you always shower yourselves in self-pity?"

"What did you say!" Marcelo yelled, it seemed like years since he was this angry.

"Not being able to be happy… Isn't that our lives!" Adelita exclaimed, the scene around her swirling around her, "No hollow will be happy! We came to this when our spirits were miserable! So don't just sit on your hands and think you're life sucks!" Adelita reached to Marcelo, grasping his collar, "You're a man! Live up to it! Find those dear to you! Protect them! Treasure them! Let them give you those little bits of happiness! And hold those small moments of happiness close to you!" Adelita could feel tears in her eyes, a smile to her lips, "And… and love the person most precious to you."

"You… You… How? How can an ignorant girl like you who rejected love from her heart say that? Aren't you equally self pitying?" Marcelo cringed at the woman in front of him. She didn't have the right to say those things.

"Yes. Yes, I was… I am. But I'm trying my best to be happy! I'm trying my best to treasure my friends!" Adelita let go of Marcelo's collar, "It took me a while to realise… and I even forgot about it… but I want to… I want to love Ulquiorra." A tear slipped down her face but her smile remained, "Even though it's too late now."

"You're not thinking…" Marcelo's eyes widened, "You can't! That's just stupid! Where are you going to find a Shinigami willing to do that!"

"I don't need the Shinigami… just the Zanpakutou is enough for me. I just need their Zanpakutou to…" Adelita averted her eyes to the ground, she looked so sad.

"Are you crazy!" Marcelo grabbed her shoulders, shaking her wildly, "You're being too naïve! There's no telling what's going to happen! There's no guarantee you will see them again! You want to make your friends happy? How will this make them happy!"

"But… but I've hurt them so much already. It's the only way…" Adelita's eyes were now flooding with tears, "I need to do this… I want to start out fresh." Adelita's smile was still in place but it looked so pained, so sorrowful, "Do you hate me, Marcelo Casagrande?"

"No. It has always been Rose that has hated you. I was never jealous of you. As long as I was with Rose… everything was okay." Marcelo looked down. He had been doing all of this for her. For Rose.

"I don't hate you, Marcelo. So please… Please let me out of here! I need to get to Ulquiorra!" The scene around them was still a flurry of images.

"I can't. No one has ever succeeded in leaving here because they all went insane before they could escape." Marcelo said, seriousness lacing his words, "Once they go insane here, they die. I can't stop this from happening." Marcelo motioned to the scene playing out on the walls, "This world is controlled by Rose. I am merely here because I created it. I created it for Rose." Marcelo's eyes suddenly widened, shock overcoming his features, "Now. It's now. The moment you are taken over by insanity."

"What!" Adelita exclaimed, looking around the room, "No… No… No!"

And the cero was fired. Point blank at Ulquiorra. This couldn't be happening. This is all a dream. There's no way Ulquiorra was going to die just like that. No. No. No… Insanity was creeping into her mind. Was this how Rose and Marcelo always killed their opponents? No. She has to get away before she dies.

A javelin formed in her hand.

"I can't be killed in this world."

Blood splattered on the ground.

"What are you doing!"

Her abdomen impaled.

"How did you know?"

* * *

"Xer-chan, are we almost there?"

"Wait a while, Cata. It'll only be a little while longer. No matter how long she's dead, it won't affect your abilities, correct?"

"I know… I know… but I want to get to Della-chan as soon as possible though…"

"Be patient. You will get to see her."

"I want her to come home. I want her to come back to us."

"So do I. But it is her choice. We wouldn't want her to be happy, would we?"

"No. But I still want Della-chan to be with us."

"We'll see, Cata. We'll see."

No. That wasn't the truth. When did he start lying to Catarina?

* * *

She ran. As fast as she could. Her javelin disappeared from her stomach but blood was still pulsating from her wound. He looked so _weak_. His arm. His leg. They were so _disfigured_. She almost choked on her own blood and saliva when she saw his wings beginning to dissolve. But she continued running, straight to his side. He looked so disappointed when he met her gaze.

"I could never find out who you were." His eyes looked so sad.

Nails met skin and Adelita raked at her neck. Blood dripped from her neck, dripping down to her shoulders. His eyes widened and flashed. Was that hunger or familiarity?

"You can tell, can't you? I'm your Contrapartida!" Adelita smiled at him, reaching down to the leg of shorts. She lifted the fabric and on her right thigh was a number. A negative four. "You know what to do, right?"

As if taken over by instinct he dipped his head down, sinking his teeth into her neck. She gripped the mop of hair on his head, wincing at the pain swirling around her head and shoulders. His arms were wrapped around her shoulders and back, nails digging into her skin as far as they could go. Blood dripped on the ground, staining it with crimson. Adelita smiled when she felt the flesh on his left arm becoming fuller. She was finally becoming useful.

"I'm glad I could help you one more time, Ulquiorra-sama." Her voice was so strained, the suffix so unfamiliar to her tongue. When he continued to sink his teeth even further into her neck she almost felt the tears streaming down her face. She was almost expecting him to say '_I hate repeating myself, stupid woman._' she wanted to hear his voice saying something, anything, like that.

After what seemed to be an eternity he stopped. All his organs healed, his arms and legs fully revitalised.

"Thank goodness you're okay." She said weakly as his eyes came back to eye level.

Emerald and violet meet, familiarity striking through emerald, "You seem so familiar. So close. So close to the heart in my hand. But I still can't remember you."

"It's alright because Ulquiorra-sama is all healed up. I'm so happy, Ulquiorra-sama." Ulquiorra's eyes pulled away from her purple ones, tracing down to her lips, "I lo-"

He smashed his own chalk white lips into her pink ones, his tongue pushing past her lips into her mouth. His hands went up and gripped tightly on her face, making her lips stay glued to his. Her grip on his head tightened as his hold on her body seemed to bring them infinitely closer. Something tasting metallic and bitter entered her mouth seconds later. It was his blood. She tried to pull away from it but he held tight onto her. As she swallowed the crimson liquid she felt the cuts, the bruises, all the injuries on her body healing themselves. She felt the hole in her stomach stitch back together, her life no longer in danger. How did he know? How did he know it worked both ways?

When he finally pulled back from her she was out of breath and her heart was beating right out of her chest. When she looked into his eyes she could almost see the same look he had in his eye before. She could faintly hear the sound of something smashing and breaking to pieces. But she didn't care. She was just waiting for his reply.

"I…" Ulquiorra's eyes flickered, trying to make out anything in his muddled up head.

"It's okay, Ulquiorra-sa-"

His lips met her's once more, this time with no blood but a kiss just for the sake of kissing. She couldn't feel her toes anymore. All the nerves in her body seemed to have relocated to wherever Ulquiorra was touching and she didn't seem to mind.

"I hate repeating myself, stupid woman." He could feel a smirk tugging at his lips when he saw the look in her eye. The shock, the tears, the happiness.

"Ulquiorra!" Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling them any closer if humanly possible. More tears ran down her face, he could feel them falling onto his shoulders and dipping down his chest.

"You know I hate it. You got so hurt and then you went and wasted your energy on something like that." He looked at her deadpanned, wrapped his hands around her lower back, weaving around the large wings present on her back.

"I don't mind. It brought Ulquiorra back to me." Adelita smiled as wide as she could, more tears slipping down her face, "Our blood is like our red string of fate. It brought us back together." She snuggled even closer to his warmth, "It was like a _blood ribbon_."

"You stupid woman." Ulquiorra said looking away, "I'm not letting you run away again."

"What…!" She gasped as she was suddenly lifted off the floor. One of his hands slid up to her shoulders, her wings were so much smaller up close it wasn't too difficult to manoeuvre his hands around them, while the other lifting her knees up, "Ulquiorra!"

"The last time we kissed you ran away. This is just to make sure you don't decide to fly away again." He pulled her higher, earning him a yelp.

"I won't run away anymore, Ulquiorra." She held onto his neck even tighter, "Because I love you."

"It took you a while." Ulquiorra said blatantly before trying to retrieve another one of her kisses.

Before their lips could make contact he felt a pair of hands instead of lips, "You haven't told me if you love me too or not. I want to know if you love me."

"I love you, Adelita Freed. I have for the longest time." When he went for another kiss this time he was met with two lips, two inviting lips and two hands entangled in his hair.

Like stuck in their own world, time slowed down for them. Everything around them swirled until it didn't seem to exist. Only the two of them were there. Only the two of them were in this timeless realm. Their red string of fate had been tangled and broken but now it had leaded them back together, stronger than before. It was like they existed for each other, co-existences.

Ten heart stopping seconds seemed like an eternity as their lips parted, leaving a string of saliva between them, their bond still connected. Her smile broke the slim connection but her very smile was one of the reasons they were together.

"I…" No words could find their way up her throat, all of them spinning in her head, not being able to find their way down to her mouth. There was nothing to say, nothing that could be voiced because everything was already there.

In a single swift moment, Ulquiorra flew several metres in the air, so fast Adelita's arms tightened significantly around her neck. She rested her forehead on his shoulder, still a bit disorientated from the sudden flight. When she looked down to see the cause. A pink blur. The sound of tears. She focused her eyes, it was a fallen Rose. Her blade thrust in front of her, water dripping down her face, her knees slammed into the ground.

"Why?" Rose cried out, her voice shaking in every corner, "_How_? My spells are unbreakable… How can break them so easily?"

"It wasn't easy." Adelita said simply, her tongue once again finding its way to form sounds, "You just gave me too many hints on how to break them."

"Hints?" Rose glared daggers, her eyes almost trying to shoot lasers.

"_Mente alucinación,__ la mundo de la retención_." Adelita said in a slick Spanish accent, "That gave away your entire technique." The pain in her abdomen shivered, reminding her of what she did, "It was like hypnosis. All I had to create enough pain or danger to my body and I would be brought back to reality."

"My _borrar del corazón_ **(6)**. How did you break _that_?" More tears slipped down her face. She was defeated. Broken. All of it was over.

"I don't know." Those words could've torn Rose apart right then, "But… You crushed the very thing that was holding my memories. After I recovered all of it came back. My memories and my feelings." Adelita took a deep breath, she almost wanted to cry out in joy, "The fact I love Ulquiorra, it came back. I poured all of it to him. Maybe that's what brought him back."

A dark mist surrounded Rose, before dispersing in a moment. Before them was Marcelo Casagrande and Rose Nadel, two beings that were once one now separated again. She was still kneeling, as if praying to the standing Marcelo.

"It's not fair…" Rose whispered, Marcelo's eyes tracing back down to her, "You're Number 4. We're Number 3. Why can you defeat me so easily? How can you be so strong?" Rose flipped her hair, the thick tresses flying over her shoulder. On the back of her neck was a tattoo. A negative three.

"That's because you two are so ignorant!"

Black pigtails flew in the light breeze, a small body in her maroon dress, the ruffles swaying from side to side. A familiar smile, long lashes fluttering above silver eyes and pink nail polish painted to perfection. Catarina Hinsdry held the same condescending air she always had, looking down on the pair, figuratively and literally.

A hand stroked the black tresses, a larger hand callused with time, more than several heads taller with a pile of dark red hair sitting on his head. Simple clothes, a simple look on his face, everything the same. Xerxes Rossel held the quiet aura he always did, so overwhelmingly so that it was intense.

"Della-chan!" Catarina could barely control her joy, jumping up, high enough to reach the girl in question.

"Rina!" Adelita's eyes couldn't stop blinking in surprise, as a hand shot out to touch the younger girl's face, a certain impassive arrancar pulled away, widening the gap between the two of them. "Ulquiorra!"

"Ah! Della-chan this is your Contrapartida, huh? So lucky! He's jealous!" Catarina laughed at the look shared between Adelita and Ulquiorra.

"N-No! It's nothing like that!" Adelita tried to stutter out but Ulquiorra tightened his grip on her body, making her squeal, "Mou! Ulquiorra stop doing that!"

"Ade-san is really quite lucky. To get along so well with your Contrapartida." Xerxes slipped in, his smile present on his face, "It looks like we didn't really need to come here… Cata and I were merely here to heal you again. We heard you were killed."

"I _did _kill her." Rose interjected, ruining the reunion.

"Well, obviously you didn't kill her well enough did you? Ne, Krystal? Oh… You're Rose, aren't you?" Catarina glared at Rose through long eye lashes, "I really hate people like you." She sighed, placing a hand on her forehead, "It's not about the number for us. It's about the strength of our attachment to our aspect of life." Catarina slipped her hand around her dress, pulling down the dress to reveal the top half of her prepubescent breast. A tattoo. A negative two. A circle of hollow mask encircled the number, separated by short little segments it looked like a bracelet. "Right now… Della-chan's attachment to her aspect is the strongest. Even though I am Number 2 I don't think I would be as strong as Della-chan. I hate this body."

"Cata." Xerxes comforted with merely his voice. Even if they were not together it seemed that his voice could still calm her, "Cata's aspect: youth." He touched the sleeve of his shirt, pulling it up. Displayed on his forearm. A negative one. "My aspect: companionship." Xerxes looked up to the ever dark sky, contemplating what this life they had was, "All of us take our aspects for granted. You two hate the life you retain. Cata hates the youth she lives with. And me… Only a few select people… Other than that I hate other's companionship." He ran a hand through messy hair, "But Ade-san… She took her aspect and gave it her all. She believed in everything this world gave her, taking each step as it came. Ade-san put faith in her friends. In her Contrapartida."

"The stronger your attachment… the stronger you are." Catarina sighed.

"How can we be attached to this aspect?" Marcelo shouted, frustration leaking out of every word, "I… Rose… Who would want to retain life as all those around you die!"

"The life they gave you, you should cherish it!" Adelita spilled, her hand clutching Ulquiorra's shoulder, "Wouldn't you want to retain that life? The one people saved for you? You should repay the people that died for you that way!"

* * *

An arrancar's problem. It is no problem of Shinigami, humans and Quincy. Kurosaki Ichigo, he wanted to settle the score with Ulquiorra but the arrancar didn't seem to have the mind to. With Uryuu in Orihime's care Ichigo could go down and deal with the arrancar in Las Noches.

In the orange shield, his wounds healing slowly, he could barely take his eyes off the orange haired girl. The feeling of getting his severed arm regenerated was strange but the look in her eye was even stranger. So lost, so lonely and yet so complete.

_I'm glad you're safe._

"Inoue-san…" He took a deep breath, he wanted to say it so badly but he couldn't. "It will only be a little while longer, then we can go home. Back to the world of the living."

She tried to hide her face with her long bangs, holding back tears. "Ishida-kun is always like. Taking care of me." Her shoulders shook, biting back a sob, "But I'm always a burden to you. You always have to come to save me… Even now… Ishida-kun…"

"Inoue-san, you aren't a burden to me." Uryuu said firmly, it didn't seem to calm her though, "I have never minded. Rescuing you and such… I was never able to save you properly anyway."

"You're wrong!" Orihime cried out, he could see them now. The fresh tears streaking her face, "When Ishida-kun comes to save me, I'm always so happy! Because… Because…" No… She wouldn't speak a word of it. He loved Rukia she wouldn't come in between them, "Ishida-kun is very kind." She touched the edge of her shield, the shield not allowing her to enter, "You always think what's best for me. I can't imagine what would happen without you."

"That's not true. I am not as kind as you depict me out as." Uryuu said casually, avoiding her gaze, "I just want to help Inoue-san." He looked down at his left arm that was slowly coming back, "It is I that cannot do anything without you. You are important to me, Inoue-san. That is why I constantly think of what's best for you."

"But… I am not the most important person to you." Orihime said sadly, looking up to the conflicting arrancar, "I always get you into trouble and I'm such a ditz. I'm not useful and people are always saving me." Her hand slipped down slightly, the touch between the shield and herself still remaining, "It's no wonder Ishida-kun likes a person unlike me."

"I don't like Kuchiki-san!" Uryuu protested, reading her mind like it was natural, "Arisawa told me once. That you thought I had feelings for Kuchiki-san but I don't! All those things about Inoue-san… they aren't true!" His right hand clenched into itself until his knuckles went white, "Inoue-san is kind and caring, smart and powerful. You're strong and take care of your friends. All the good things and bad things about Inoue-san, they're all things I like about Inoue-san."

"H-Huh?" Orihime jolted her head back, cheeks turning red. Then she shook her head, it was in a friend way, "Jeez, Ishida-kun! Don't give me a fright like that!" She tried to pull off a smile, "You almost had me going there!"

She tried to pull away her hand, taking away the physical connection she had with him. His newly healed hand shot out touching the very spot she had just pulled away from, only from the inside. Like a magnet her hand crept back, their hands palm to palm, so close yet so infinitely far. With just that everything fell silent. They didn't dare break the unspoken rule, to let it all move along freely.

No sound was uttered, no mouths moved. No words, no whispers. No confessions, no proposals. Just the one look in his eye, saying that he meant all the words he had just uttered. His mouth slipped open, mouthing something incomprehensible yet so clear to her. Like in a foreign language she had just learned. It was like sound would ruin the perfection of the moment, she mouthed the same three words back, in the same silence.

His eyes softened, her eyes smiled. With no words, with no sound, everything fell into place. They say first love was the sweetest and second was the bitterest. For Orihime, this second love was by far the most tooth decaying sweetness she had ever experienced. Silently, sleepily, crawling up to her heart, to her hand, to his hand. Each slipping into the other's worlds.

Their world was between their hands.

* * *

I have decided to end it here because I feel like it hahaha. I hope you like the massive Ulquiorra/Adelita section I added in there because I felt they weren't getting enough love. Yes, Adelita finally got her head out of her ass because remember she originally knew she loved him until Rose took her memories away. Ulquiorra was just smart enough to realise he loved her. Stay in tune to see what Xerxes, Marcelo and Adelita were talking about! The journey she is about to take! Haha! Hope you liked it!

Review!

Next Chapter: Blessings (may change)

**(1)**: Crystal Rosary

**(2)**: Rose Blade

**(3)**: Crystallise

**(4)**: Mind Hallucination

**(5)**: The World of Rention

**(6)**: Heart Steal


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